


The Low Road

by MariaArnt



Series: This Light Between Us [3]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: F/M, Knifeplay, Leather Kink, Mindfuck, Multi, Multiple Personalities, Threesome - F/M/M, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-12
Updated: 2017-12-07
Packaged: 2019-02-01 09:48:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 29,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12702354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MariaArnt/pseuds/MariaArnt
Summary: One of two parallel sequels to "This Light Between Us," companion to "The High Road."Faced with the choice, Ben decides to go against Rey's wishes and stay so he can protect her from Snoke. Even if it means he'll fall back to the Dark, and risk the fate of the whole galaxy in the balance.





	1. Chapter 1

Rey turned back to Ben, the sense of deja vu almost overwhelming. <You have to go,> she told him.

<What? No! I can't leave you!>

<You have to!> she argued.

Ben stood, frozen with indecision, his gaze torn between her and the rapidly approaching stormtroopers.

Rey finally recognized the surreal sense of familiarity. She had seen a vision of this moment. It was almost as if she were watching herself now.

<Go, Ben! Run!> she yelled into his mind, startling him out of his paralysis.

The galaxy hung frozen as she waited to see which version of her premonition would come true....

* * *

Ben glanced between Rey and the approaching stormtroopers. Strangely, the only thing he could think of was the message his grandfather had given him.

_Remember, Ben. Power is only valuable as long as you can use it to protect those you love. The Dark Side offers only destruction. The Light demands a release of all attachments. Find the path between, find the balance. Only then will your power have meaning._

If he left, he might be able to find the path between, but it would be useless. He wouldn't be able to protect Rey. Only by staying could he keep her safe, even if it meant his own destruction.

Turning to face away from her, he reached out a hand. He concentrated hard, gave a rough nudge from the Force, and the jammed hatchway slammed shut, sealing his fate.

<What are you doing?> Rey demanded.

<Hail them. Tell them to go.> He turned back and crossed his arms, watching the approaching stormtroopers with feigned nonchalance.

Rey hit her communicator. "Chewie, go! We're not going to make it, you have to get out of there!"

A static-filled roar of denial came back over the comm before a jamming signal cut it off.

<He told me he wouldn't go, Ben. This was a suicide mission from the start.> Tears began to pour down her face.

Ben felt the floor drop out from beneath him. But the stormtroopers had arrived, and it was too late. He had made his choice. The white-armored troopers surrounded them, and while their blasters were pointed at Rey, it wouldn't take more than a flicker of movement to change their target.

"Commander Ren," the sergeant saluted neatly as he approached.

"Seargent," he nodded back. "You can thank the bridge officer who thought of using the ray shield, that was some quick thinking."

Rey frowned, scowling at him. <What are you doing.>

"Uh... that would be General Hux, sir," the sergeant replied.

Scowling, Ben dropped his arms. "Nevermind, then."

"He's ordered that we bring her to the Council Room," the sergeant explained, hesitating. It had never been entirely clear who held the higher rank between Ren and Hux.

He gestured to Rey, trapped within the shield. "Fine by me. I'll need to inform him that we'll be heading to deep space anyway."

"Deep space, sir?" the sergeant asked.

Ben forced his face into a mask of a smile, forced himself to look at Rey. "Yes. Supreme Leader Snoke has ordered that I capture this Jedi and bring her to him."

He only dimly heard the sergeant's affirmative reply. He was lost in Rey's eyes, lost in her sorrow as she realized what he was doing.

<Oh, Ben,> she sighed.

<I can't let you go alone. I can't, Rey.>

Rey hung her head, and the stormtroopers seemed to relax, seeing it as a sign of her surrender. They lowered the shield, and as he watched she put up no resistance as they put her hands in binders and stripped her of her weapons.

"I'll take that," he said as her lightsaber was removed from her belt. The trooper who held it didn't hesitate to hand it over, as if it were a dangerous creature that might bite him.

Behind him, one of the troopers called out, "Sir, there's a ship docked to the emergency hatchway here."

<Damn it, why haven't they left?> he asked.

Rey just shook her head. <I told you. They won't.>

"Probably her escape route," Ben said out loud. "Relay the information to the bridge, have them sort it out." He could only hope it would give them some time.

* * *

 

Poe threaded the A-wing through the tangled mess of the battle. The new ship was so responsive, it almost seemed to guess what he wanted before he knew it himself. Behind him, Finn was on fire, knocking TIEs out of the sky as if they were joba flies. It was exhilarating, but at the same time, he was worried. What was taking Rey so long?

Glancing along the immense length of the star destroyer, he saw a no less than three squadrons of TIE interceptors heading straight for the Falcon.

"Falcon 3, this is Black Leader," he called over the comms. "You've got trouble heading your way, we'll hold them off as long as we can, but get ready to bug out."

"Negative, Black Leader," came the reply from one of the gunners. Poe thought it was Reese, by the twang. "This is the Falcon 3, we don't have the Prodigal yet. I repeat we do not have the Prodigal!"

Poe jerked the control stick a little harder than necessary, sending the A-wing into a sharp swerve that made Finn call out in surprise. "Kriff the Prodigal, you guys are about to get toasted if you don't get out of there!"

"Understood, Black Leader. We don't have the Boomerang on board either," he replied in a more subdued tone.

Behind him, Finn swore. "What is taking her so long?" he demanded, echoing Poe's earlier thoughts.

"I don't know!" Poe shouted back. "But we're gonna give her as much time as we can!" Steeling himself, he went into a spin and engaged the first squadron.

* * *

 

Rey stared at her feet as she was marched down the corridor. She knew this would go easier if she pretended to be defeated, and honestly, it wasn't much of an act. They had almost reached the blast doors, now fully open, when the deck beneath them shuddered.

A flash of pain ripped through Rey's mind. She felt her knees go watery and missed a step. Ben's grip on her arm tightened, but she wasn't sure if it was to support her, or his own reaction. Chewie. Chewie was... gone. She choked back a sob.

"Sir?" one of the stormtroopers behind them asked. She realized they had stopped in their tracks, holding up the procession.

Ben shot out a hand and pulled his helmet to him with the Force. For once, he didn't seem to struggle with it. Jamming it on his head with one hand, he jerked Rey forward with the other. "Keep moving," he said, his voice now tinged with the familiar distortion.

But Rey knew the truth, knew that beneath the mask, Ben was crying. Knew that he needed it to hide just how close he was to breaking. She tried to pull herself together, to shore him up with support through their bond, but she didn't have much to offer.

As they entered a lift, one of the troopers raised a hand to his helmet. "Sir, a report's coming in from the bridge, the Resistance forces are retreating."

"Good," Ben bit out.

Rey closed her eyes. It was too late for them now, too late for Chewie, and Reese, and Vallory. But maybe, she hoped, it hadn't been too late for Finn and Poe. A new wave of guilt washed over her as she realized she'd dragged Poe into this for nothing.

At last, after a maze of corridors that Rey paid no attention to, they came to what must be the Council Room. A long, glossy black table stretched the length of the room, scattered with data pads. The chairs were in disarray, one was still drifting slowly towards a corner. It seemed the battle had interrupted a meeting.

Alone at the head of the table sat a red-headed man in a dark uniform. He stood when they entered, put his hands behind his back, and scowled at them both. He was young for someone with so much power, perhaps the same age as Ben. But he wore it with the ease of someone born to it, as if it was his right.

This must be General Hux, she realized. She might have recognized him from the vague glimpses she had caught through her bond with Kylo. But more than that, she had seen the color of his hair and the shape of his features mirrored in a little girl in hiding on Jakku. She felt a jolt of surprise from Ben as he felt her recognition, but there was no time for him to ask her about it.

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't have you both executed for sedition right now," Hux asked calmly.

Ben was quick with his response. "So you finally figured out the leak? Took you long enough. To answer your question, I fed her mostly useless intel to lure her here, as ordered by Supreme Leader Snoke. We are to bring her to him immediately."

Hux scowled. "I know of no such orders."

"This is Force business," Ben explained. "It doesn't concern you. You're welcome to question Snoke, though, if you'd like."

The General drew up to his full height, obviously riled by the challenge. A hint of color showed at the collar of his uniform. "I will contact the Supreme Leader," he temporized, "and ask how he would like to proceed. In the meantime," he turned to the stormtrooper sergeant. "Take her to the brig," he ordered.

"That won't be necessary," Ben said, a possessive hand wrapping around the back of her neck. "If you recall, she is perfectly capable of escaping stormtrooper custody. Your... training methods leave them particularly susceptible to her powers. She will remain in my custody."

The flush on General Hux's neck spread to his face, darkening it considerably.

Through her despair, Rey was silently impressed with Ben's ability to move the blame for his own failing squarely onto Hux. She knew he was close to collapsing, but he seemed to draw strength from how much he disliked this man and a perverse sort of pleasure at undermining him.

The stormtroopers glanced uncomfortably between the two leaders.

"Very well," Hux said at last. "Dismissed."

* * *

 

General Organa Solo, once the princess of an entire world, stood at the edge of the airfield and watched the ships come in. The sky slowly drained from turquoise to navy as the sun slinked further around the curve of the horizon. There were stars, she knew, but her eyes were too old to pick out any but the brightest, and she was too proud -- and too busy -- to have them surgically repaired.

She watched each ship as it came in and landed. Watched each crew disembark, to be replaced by a fresh ground crew, who would move it into the hangar so that more ships could land in its place. Watched them, one by one, knowing all the while that the one she was looking for would never come.

In a strange way, this hurt more than when she lost Han. She never really felt like she had Han, in some ways. He was too skittish of commitment, and then too terrified of fatherhood, and then too confined by their life together. She had always known that he would leave.

But he would always come back. Not forever, she knew better, but he'd come around for a while before leaving again. She'd been able to fool herself thus far that he'd come back around again. But with Chewie gone, and the Falcon.... The Falcon had been her home, for a number of years. Most of her time spent with Han had been on board. Losing it was like losing all of those memories.

And Chewie.... Leia couldn't even begin to process that loss yet.

Eventually, Commander Dameron found her, long after the last ship had been docked in the hanger. Only darkness hung around her, taunting her.

"We tried, General. I'm so sorry," he whispered.

She turned towards him, not really seeing the pilot. It was habit that answered, the instincts of a politician. "You did your best, Commander. That's the most I can ask of any of you."

"Yes, ma'am." He hesitated. "It's late, General. You should come in."

"I will in a bit," she promised, lying. "The dark doesn't bother me."

He nodded and left her alone.

The last hadn't been a lie. She'd wrestled with the Dark more than people might guess. She was the daughter of Darth Vader, and while she'd never quite had the grasp of the Force that her twin had, she'd always worried that she could use it, subconsciously, to manipulate her political allies and opponents. All the accusations that had been made when the truth of her parentage became public were, after all, dangerously close to accurate. It was why she'd left politics, pursuing the military through the Resistance instead. Even in this, she had followed in her biological father's footsteps. Once, he had been known as General Skywalker.

But it wasn't her father that she worried about tonight. She reached out through the Darkness, through the Force, to find the one dim star she knew better than any other. She had forged it, herself, within her own body. She had felt it's first flicker, before the child had even quickened in her womb. Always, it had been shot through with Dark, even from the start. But even when he had fallen into Snoke's hands, it had also contained a speck of Light as well.

Tonight... tonight the Light threatened to gutter out entirely.

"Ben," she whispered into the night.

* * *

 

The squadron of stormtroopers had accompanied Ben and his "prisoner" right up to his quarters. He'd gotten more than a little satisfaction out of shutting the door in their faces. As soon as he was inside, he glared at the corner where he knew the surveillance device was until he heard a crunch.

That accomplished, he fell against the wall, sliding down into a heap on the floor. Rey rushed to him and crouched down carefully, unable to do much with her hands still bound behind her back.

<Ben, are you okay?>

<No,> he snapped back and then fought a wave of hysterical laughter. Before he could say anything further, the comm in his helmet chimed.

"Yes?" He ground out.

"Sir, there appears to be a malfunction in the visual security system in your quarters. We're sending a repair crew to fix it now," came the report.

"Don't bother," he said, perhaps a little too quickly. "It's probably an effect of the girl's powers. You may repair it after she is transferred offboard."

There was a long hesitation, as the poor bastard probably relayed that to Hux verbatim. At last, he came back on. "Very well sir." Ben ended the communication.

Rey had turned around and was looking at him over her shoulder. <Can you get these?> she lifted her wrists.

Ben summoned the energy to press the release, and she shook her hands free. That accomplished, she turned to face him once more and put her hands on his mask. For a moment he wasn't sure what she was doing, until she found the clasps that released the chin piece. She lifted the helmet off his head, exposing him.

Setting the helmet aside, she studied his face a moment, before sliding her arms around him slowly.

<What have I done, Rey?> he asked her, his breath hitching with the first threat of a sob. <I can't do this. I can't pretend to be that again.>

<Shh,> Rey soothed him wordlessly, through their bond and with her hands. She ran them through his hair, over the wet tracks on his face. She kissed his mouth, and --Force help him--the feel of her physically present with him was almost enough to make him forget.

<I couldn't leave you,> he admitted, wrapping her in a crushing hug and burying his face in her neck. <I need you too much.>

<I know,> she replied. <I'm here.> She laughed, a puff of air against his cheek. <I'm certainly not going anywhere. And...> she hesitated, <I need you too.>

Ben felt a surge of strength at her words. They could get through this, somehow, together. He stood, lifting her with him and carrying her to his bed. He'd be lying if he hadn't dreamed of this a thousand times, and he'd be damned if he wasn't going to take advantage of the situation.

<Can't they still hear us?> she asked as he began to pluck at the clasp of her belt.

The ghost of a smile graced his lips. <Yes.>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY ABOUT CHEWIE!!!! *gross crying* There had to be consequences for him staying! This story makes me hate myself just a little bit. But, it's also got the best twisted, fucked up sex. Which is kind of my thing. Again, see above about hating self lol.
> 
> Anyway, I'm doing these two stories for NaNoWriMo this year, and I've already gotten the next chapter written! Unfortunately my internet BFF t0bemadeofglass who usually betas for me, is also doing NaNo and is quite busy. My husband has offered to beta, but he's not really into Reylo so he takes some... encouragement.
> 
> Still, my ultimate goal is to have these two stories done before the new movie comes out! Such excite!!


	2. Chapter 2

Rey clutched tightly to Ben's neck as he carried her deeper into his quarters. The solid reality of him was like an anchor to her. If she could just focus on him, here, now, she could push away what tomorrow held for them.

He lowered her gently to the bed, and followed her down, kissing her forehead and hair gently. He touched her cheek, cursed softly, and tugged off the glove impatiently before touching her again.The feel of his fingertips on her skin made her eyes prick with tears. But she pulled herself together, she was here for Ben, here to help him. She still didn't understand why he had chosen to stay with her, but a small, selfish part of her was glad.

Ben sat up, removed his other glove, and then tugged her into his lap. Before she could protest, he began gently removing the ties from her hair. She expected him to fumble at it, but then remembered he had done this for her once before when she was unconscious. It felt good, his fingers trailing along her scalp once all the strands were free. Brushing the wavy locks aside, he kissed the column of her neck slowly.

Rey shivered. She was all nerves, and Ben's slow approach surprised her. <I thought you would be more impatient,> she tried to joke.

She thought she felt him smile against her shoulder as he gently pulled the gauze wrap off of her shoulder, giving him better access to her skin. <Well, like you said, you're not going anywhere, so we have time.>

Frowning, Rey watched as his hands wrapped around her waist and found the buckle to her belt. There was something more, something he wasn't telling her. As the bond between them began to pull more insistently, she caught snippets of his feelings and found in them a deep well of sorrow.

In response to Rey's unvoiced curiosity, Ben sighed. <You don't know enough to be afraid of what's coming for us. I do. You see, this will probably be my last chance to be kind to you. To love you like you deserve.> Flashes of memory passed between them, brutal things Kylo had been forced to do to other girls. Things he had come to enjoy in a twisted way, things he _still_ desired, despite his self-disgust, to do to her.

She turned in his lap, catching his lips with her own, framing his face in her hands. <That's for tomorrow,> she agreed.

Ben shifted, helping her move so she could discard her wrap, kick off her shoes, and straddle him. He lifted the hem of her shirt, watching as her skin was revealed in the harsh lights all around them. Next he slowly, carefully unwrapped her bindings, freeing her breasts. He weighed them in his hands, lifting them gently, the pad of his thumb stroking the scar on the left.

In return, Rey ran her hands through his hair, leaning forward to kiss his forehead. When she leaned back, she reached down to undo the clasp of his belt. He helped her shed the robe and tunic, but she didn't have the patience to unbuckle the band across his chest that connected his armguards. Instead, she pressed herself against him, and couldn't help the moan that escaped her lips at the feel of his skin pressed against hers, _finally_.

Letting out an answering groan, Ben wrapped his arms around her tightly, as if he could pull her into him. The bond between them throbbed, demanding, but they both held it at bay. This was something more, something deeper than what the Force had forged between them.

Rey let him lay her down again, her legs still wrapped around his waist. He made quick work of his own armguards and then began to work more slowly on hers. She held her arms out compliantly and felt something shift between them. He would be her Master, now, even if it was something of a sham. In the careful, possessive way he undressed her she could sense a foreshadowing of what it might mean, to be his.

At the same time, it gave her the opportunity to realize just how physically intimidating he was. In the dreams, it hadn't seemed so obvious how small she was in comparison. Without the Force, there would be no contest. He could overpower her so easily it would be laughable. It made her feel vulnerable, and yet safe. He could protect her, too.

His task completed, Ben leaned down and kissed her lips, his tongue darting between to touch hers. She arched up so her skin brushed against his, running her hands along his arms. She wanted to feel every inch of him, to drink in the reality of him. He left her mouth to kiss her chin, her neck, and trail his way lower.

One of his hands cupped her breast, bringing the nipple to his mouth. He kissed her nipple until it pebbled, and then flicked it with his tongue. She clenched her teeth and grabbed the sheets with both hands, breathing hard.

<Do you not like that?> he asked, concern flooding the bond between them.

<Oh, I like it,> she fought back a laugh. <I'm just trying to be quiet.>

A roguish smile crossed his face, and he bent his head back to his task. <I don't intend for that to last,> he warned.

<But... they'll hear us...> She glanced around the room as if she could see the hidden surveillance devices.

<Exactly. Can you think of a better way to convince them to leave us alone?> He drew her nipple into his mouth and pulled hard.

Rey gasped and felt her cheeks heat up. He had a point, but the thought of General Hux and Force knows who else listening in on them was mortifying.

Releasing her breast, Ben sighed. <I'm sorry, I should have taken your feelings into consideration. But this is probably the most privacy we're going to get, Rey.>

Tracing the line of his scar, Rey studied his face. <Well then,> she decided at last. <Let's give them something to listen to.>  
The mischevious smile returned before Ben bent to kiss a line down her stomach, his hair falling to tickle her skin. He pulled back far enough to slide her pants and underwear off, and then knelt once more between her knees.

She shuddered as his breath fanned across her folds, already slick with arousal. He kissed her inner thigh and pressed his face against it, breathing deeply. Through the bond, she caught the impression that he enjoyed the smell of her like this, and felt her face redden further. Before she could protest, though, he leaned down and flicked his tongue against her clit.

Rey's hips jerked involuntarily, but Ben's reflexes were sharp enough that he tightened his grip on her thighs before she could lift her self off the bed. Instead of slowing down, though, he went on the attack, laving his tongue against her mercilessly. A high keen escaped her lips, and she shoved her head back into the pillow.

"Oh, please, B--"

<Careful!> Ben cut her off, her throat clamping on the name. He didn't even pause in his onslaught, and she cursed him aloud once she could breathe again.

<What should I call you then?> She hesitated to even suggest Kylo.

This finally stopped him, and he lifted his head, licking the juices from his lips. The sight was so erotic that Rey groaned again.

"From now on, you will address me as Master," he said aloud.

"M-master?" she tried the sound of it on her lips, her voice hitching as he released one of her thighs to trace her folds.

"Yes?" he asked, spreading her with his fingers. Through the bond, she could feel his genuine pleasure. Sham or not, he had wanted this for a long time.

"Master, please don't..." she said, voice shaky.

He paused. <Don't what?>

<Don't stop,> she squirmed against his fingers, wanting more.

He shook his head. <Well done.> "No," he said aloud, for whoever was listening, and then bent his head to his task once more.

Rey cried out, and this time she didn't hold back. "Ah! Please, please Master..." she started up a litany of begging.

Ben's free hand tightened against her hip, and he growled possessively, the vibration sending a shock through her core. The sounds she was making were having more than a little effect, and Rey had only a moment to wonder if he would outlast her climax before it overtook her. She let out a strangled cry, gripping the sheets so hard she thought they would tear. She had forgotten how much better it was in the waking world. The bond between them gave an answering pull, like the inexorable tug of gravity.

Glancing down at Ben, she saw the raw need echoed in his eyes. Somehow, he fought it, taking his time kicking off boots and pants. When he came back to her, crawling up her body with a trail of kisses, she could feel him trembling with the effort of it. He groaned as their naked bodies pressed together, his erection hard against her hip. She reached down between them and took hold of it, marveling at the velvet hardness.

His breathing accelerated rapidly, and he screwed his eyes shut. If she hadn't been able to feel his pleasure through the bond, she would have worried she was hurting him. She swiped a thumb across the top, smearing the single drop that had sprung there, and he made a sound in his throat that sent heat straight to her own center. Slowly, with exaggerated care, Ben shifted so she was straddling him once more, and let her take the reins.

She played with him a moment longer, relishing the sense of power and the trust that he placed in her. When she dipped her head to kiss the tip, the length of him jerked in her hand, making him sit up a little.

<Rey, please... I can't last that long,> he begged.

One corner of her mouth twitched upward. <Later?>

He groaned, collapsing back on the bed. <Absolutely, later.>

Satisfied, she moved up a little and positioned herself just so, before slowly sinking down on him. His hands came to grip her hips, thumbs digging into the tender skin just inside, as he struggled to keep control of himself. At last, she bottomed out, and stayed there a moment, listening to the connection between them sing.

Ben, however, had grown impatient. It seemed that he had reached the end of his control, and used his grip on her hips to lift her up far enough that he could thrust up into her. His rhythm was quick and ragged, and she felt as the hunger gnawing at them both began to consume him.

She leaned forward, breasts brushing against his chest, and the change in angle made all the difference. He pushed deeper, harder, and she clutched at his pillow, burying her face in the crook of his neck. The edges of where she ended and he started were beginning to blur, she wasn't sure if the orgasm she felt building was her own or his.

In the end, it didn't matter. They came as one, and for a moment that seemed to last an eternity, there was nothing separating them. Rey felt bathed in the warmth of the Light, wrapped in the possessiveness of the Dark. For a heartbeat, they existed in perfection.

When reality began to reassert itself, Rey found herself collapsed on Ben's chest, her lips pressed against his collarbone. One of his hands was on the back of her head, tangled in her hair. The other rested on the small of her back and drifted lower to cup the curve of her ass affectionately.

<I love you,> Ben whispered into her mind, as if he was afraid to say it even between them.

<I love you too.> She nuzzled her face closer to his neck and tasted the salty sweat on his skin.

He moaned, and within her, she could feel the first stirrings as he began to grow rigid once more. Grinding her hips against his in small, circular motions, she couldn't help a smile as he responded better than she expected.

<Hold on to me,> he warned her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and using the hand on her ass to keep them together, he turned them so he loomed over her. She locked her ankles around his waist and pulled him in deeper as he began a slower, steady pace.

<I'm sorry.> He kissed her forehead before pressing his own against it.

<For what?> she frowned. She had forgotten the world outside of them.

A wry smile crossed his lips. <You're going to be sore tomorrow,> he explained.

She kissed him greedily. <Well then at least one unpleasant thing about tomorrow will have good memories attached to it.>

He silently agreed and began to push her harder.

* * *

 

On the bridge, General Hux was overseeing the preparations to jump to the deep space entry point. He had sent a message to Supreme Leader Snoke but had not yet received an answer yet.

Since Ren, or his little scavenger, had disabled the video surveillance in his quarters, he had left the audio transmission open on one of the comm stations. He hadn't been paying much attention to it, as they hadn't spoken a word since Ren had refused to have the camera fixed.

Then, in the middle of a lull on the bridge, came the sound of the girl's voice. "Oh, please--"

Those close enough to hear the quiet plea paused, staring at the comm.

"From now on, you will address me as Master," Ren ordered after a moment.

"M-master?" The girl's voice hitched as if she were in pain.

"Yes?"

"Master, please don't..."

By this time, more members of the crew had noticed the interruption, and while most of them had the good training not to turn away from their stations, their faces bore the distant look of someone pretending not to listen.

"No," came Ren's decisive reply.

The girl cried out as if struck. "Ah! Please, please Master..." she started up a litany of begging that quickly made it apparent exactly what use Ren had found for her.

"Mute that," Hux ordered loudly. The lieutenant at the comm station obeyed immediately, and he noticed a faint flush on her cheeks. A strategy officer next to her cleared his throat and shifted in his seat.

Hux had a moment of mortification as he realized that he had not been unaffected, either. He tugged his uniform jacket down sharply, but it didn't help. Glancing around the deck, he realized that he wasn't really needed there.

"Captain, you have the bridge," he ordered, and stormed out the nearest hatchway. He didn't stop until he'd reached his own quarters, his breathing hard from walking so fast, as well as other things.

Cursing, he turned to his personal workstation, hoping to find something to distract him. Instead, he found himself entering the command to have the audio from Ren's quarters sent to this workstation instead.

The sound of the girl's cries, Ren's grunts, and the slapping of flesh filled his bare, utilitarian quarters.

_Damn you, Ren_ , the General thought as his eyes slid shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was remarkably difficult to write. Apparently, I'm not so good at sweet, emotionally touching sex scenes. I guess I just like it better when it's twisted. The scene with Hux makes up for it though ;)
> 
> Also, I've just discovered that there's no way to upload chapters and post them later in AO3. You can save one chapter without posting, but if you try to make another one, it overwrites the first. And you can't set it to post at a specific time. This is lame. I was hoping to post a chapter every other day but I can't promise I'll always have time to do it on that day.


	3. Chapter 3

Hours later, long after Ben's quarters had cycled to the sleep setting, the lights reduced to just a few dim red bars, he and Rey laid in a tangle of limbs. They were exhausted, and the bond between them was sated, but they stayed awake. Sleep meant waking, and waking to the horrors that tomorrow would bring.

<How are we going to do this?> Rey asked, tracing a hand along the expanse of his chest.

<I don't know,> he admitted. He picked up a lock of her hair and trailed it between his fingertips. She looked so different with her hair down, softer and yet stronger.

He sensed her hesitation, as easy as feeling his own emotions, and prodded her mentally.

<I have an idea, but I don't think you'll like it,> she warned.

He rolled onto his back and sighed. <Any idea, any plan, is better than going into this blindly.>

Rey snuggled up against him, fitting neatly up under his arm, the curve of her head finding a matching dip in his shoulder as if it was meant to go there. Everything about her presence felt so right.

<The place in your mind where Snoke locked away your memories... if we were to repair it, you could store anything you worried about him finding in there,> she suggested.

He thought about it. <But then, while it was hidden, I wouldn't remember any of those things. I would be... someone else.> He would be Kylo Ren once more, he realized.

<Yes. But I could unlock it again when it was safe.> Rey traced a pattern on his pectoral muscle.

He put his hand over hers, stilling it so she could feel his heart beating beneath. <I don't like to think what I could do to you if I was like that.>

She took a deep breath, and looked up at him through the darkness. <You're going to have to do some of those things anyway, aren't you?>

Ben shut his eyes against the truth of it.

<Maybe this will make that easier, too.>

There was an undeniable logic to her words. True, he'd have to deal with the guilt of his actions later, but this way he wouldn't risk showing his hand to Snoke.

<Plus, you get to pick what you put away. Anything you think you can risk keeping out in the open, it's up to you.>

That made him feel a little better about it. He doubted Snoke would go rifling through the things he'd stored away, and he could protect his memories of Rey with far less effort.

<Let's do it now, then. We can put everything away but leave the door open. Then I can shut it as soon as I need to.>

<Good idea.> Rey sat up and then moved to the top of the bed, pillowing his head in her lap. This time, he could tell it was much easier for her to enter his mind, as close as they were. She fell effortlessly into the swirling colors, and he followed her in. He noticed that while everything was a bit more ragged than before, it was also brighter. Among the reds and purples, there was the occasional swirl of peaceful blue.

This time, he hovered weightlessly beside her. She gave his hand an insubstantial squeeze, and then turned away. With a thought, she brought them to the doors, the hole she had cut still smoking gently.

"I'm not even sure if we can fix this," she admitted.

"Let's try repairing the door first, no sense doing the other work if it won't function."

She nodded. Together, they lifted one of the pieces of the door and fitted it into the hole. Rey pressed her palm against the blackened scar in the metal, a look of deep concentration on her face. Her hand glowed faintly, and when she slid it along the crack, the metal left behind was smooth and unmarked. They repeated the process, and although her breathing became labored and he could feel her growing tired, eventually the door was whole again.

Rey rested her forehead against it for a moment, and then drifted back, waving a hand in the Jedi gesture for telekinesis. The doors slid open with a hiss, and she sagged, putting her hands on her thighs.

"Are you okay?" Ben put a hand on her back. She looked drained.

She nodded, and then waved a hand toward the access panel. "You'll need to reset it."

He moved to stand before the small screen. "What should I do?"

"Set it so any code will open the door. That way, no matter what S-- what it was originally programmed to will still work," she suggested.

Placing his hands on either side of the panel, he focused his energy into it. This was _his_ mind, and he _would_ shape it to his will. There was a flash of light, and the panel powered up. He hit the button to close the doors, and heard the locking mechanism engage. He entered a simple code - the same 4 numerals in a row, and they hissed open again.

"It works!" He grinned.

"Thank the Force," Rey agreed. She seemed to have recovered a bit.

They stared into the doorway. Beyond was a lightless black.

"Do you know which things you want to put in there?" she asked.

Ben took a deep breath. "I think so." Turning to face away from the door, he stared out into the swirling maelstrom of his mind, and pulled. First came the black strands of the memories Snoke had hidden, the pain and torture he had suffered at his Master's hands. Things he had done that had haunted him too much, made him question his path. Happier memories of training with Uncle Luke, learning how to find the Light, and resist the Darkness.

That accomplished, he pulled more. The stories his grandmother had told him, and his grandfather's message. Every tender moment between himself and Rey, every time he had told her, or even thought to himself, that he loved her. He left most of the memories intact, taking only those bits which would give him away. He left the desire, the lust, the cruelty of the things he had done to her, prepared to let Snoke take a closer look at them now.

Lastly he added the idea of this plan itself, and the information he had fed to the Resistance. For a moment he was tempted to add more, the things that had disappointed his Master - his nagging desire to return to the light, the volatility of his temper - but he worried that Snoke would notice the change and grow suspicious.

All of the memories swirled around him and passed into the doorway. When he turned to look again, it was no longer dark, but glowed faintly blue, shot through with black. Not one speck of blue remained outside the door.

"Is that all of it?" Rey asked.

"Almost," he told her. Looking down, he touched his own breast, and then pressed his fingers down into his ribcage. Grimacing, he pulled out what he sought: a small, perfect star, shining brightly. He held it in his hands a moment, relishing its warmth. Then he released it, and watched it drift silently into the cavern, where it was surrounded by his other memories, looking like it was swaddled in the nebula it was born from, and in a way, it was.

"What is that?" Rey breathed, her eyes reflecting it's light.

He pulled her into his arms. "My love for you. It is my greatest treasure, but also my biggest weakness. If he finds it, we're both doomed."

Rey leaned her head against his shoulder and continued to stare at the star. He knew what worried her, it concerned him too. How would he treat her without that? What kind of monster would he be?

"We should get some sleep," Ben murmured. "You'll need your strength."

Rey nodded, and slipped just as effortlessly from his mind. They lay in his bed once more, and Ben reached down to pull the covers up over them.

<We can do this,> Rey told him, yawning widely.

<Yes,> he agreed, although with more confidence than he felt. At this point, they didn't have much chioce.

* * *

 

In the morning, Rey was awakened by an insistent chime. Ben cursed and leaped out of bed, finding his pants in the darkness and roughly pulling them on as he headed for the door.

In the blinding light that spilled into his quarters from the corridor beyond, Rey could make out the silhouette of a droid. She burrowed deeper under the covers and squinted her eyes shut.

"General Hux has ordered that the prisoner must be processed according to procedure," the droid said. The designer of the unit hadn't been particularly concerned with making its voice sound human, just intelligible. In one of its many articulated appendages, it held a bundle of cloth.

Ben grabbed the bundle. "That won't be necessary, I've taken care of the processing myself."

"But..." Lights flashed on the droid's torso as it tried to process the information. "The cavity search must be--"

"You can tell General Hux that I was very _thorough_ about it!" he shouted, and slammed his hand down on the access panel. The doors slid shut with a satisfying click. It was difficult to tell in the newly returned darkness, but she thought he leaned his head against the door for a moment, taking a few deep breaths. At last he turned, finding the panel to bring the lights up.

Rey screwed her eyes shut a moment, and then sat up, sighing resignedly. She was still exhausted, mentally and physically, and she felt like a mess.

"'Fresher's through there," Ben gestured towards a narrow doorway. <Sonics only, I'm afraid,> he added silently. "Clean yourself up."

Rey stood and stretched, trying not to notice the way Ben's eyes lingered on the curve of her body. They did not have the time.

When she came out of the 'fresher, she felt a little better. It wasn't the absolute luxury of a water shower, but it was invigorating and had eased the soreness between her thighs a little. She was surprised to see that Ben was fully dressed, had emptied the contents of her belt pouch onto the bed, and was sorting through the odds and ends.

<What's this?> he asked, holding up a small object on a cord. It was a little square of wood with semi-circles carved out of each side, and a design etched into the front and back.

<It's the sub-space communicator, disguised as a talisman,> she explained.

He frowned down at it. <I feel like I've seen it before.> He turned the little pendant over and over in his fingers.

Now that he mentioned it, it did seem familiar to her. <General Organa designed it,> she explained. <Maybe she wore something like it, once?>

Ben shook his head. <That doesn't seem right. Doesn't matter, I'll keep it hidden.> He tucked it into a pocket underneath his robe.

<Where are my clothes?> she asked, looking around.

A pained expression crossed his face. "You'll wear this, for the time being." He held out the bundle of cloth he had snatched from the droid.

She unwrapped it, to find a very plain pair of underwear, an elastic binder, a pair of canvas slippers, and a large bag of scratchy material that she guessed was supposed to be a dress. Prisoner's garb.

"I will supply you with something more suitable once you begin your training," he promised.

"Thank you, Master," she said, more for anyone listening, but the rush of pleasure from Ben didn't hurt either. She quickly slipped into the utilitarian outfit, gritting her teeth at the unpleasant texture of the cloth. Her hair kept falling in her face.

"What should I do with my hair?" she pulled the top third back, looking for one of the ties she had used.

"Normally you wouldn't get to keep it," he explained.

She paled.

"Come here," he ordered. Scooting back on the bed, he patted the spot in front of him.

She sat obediently, and her eyes slid shut the moment his fingers touched her scalp. He carefully worked the tangles out as best he could, and then twisted all of it up together, before doing something with the ends that held them in securely.

Rey touched the resulting bun hesitantly. It wasn't very tight, but seemed like it would hold. <That's a neat trick,> she complimented him.

He shrugged, standing from the bed and putting on his gloves. A wash of shame and grief came through their bond, and she frowned. <Did you learn that from your mother?> she guessed.

<What? No.> He looked up, surprised, and a small smile crossed his face. <She's given to more elaborate styles, if you haven't noticed. No, I learned it from a girl in a brothel. I don't even remember her name.>

Rey nodded, and stood as well. She found the wrist binders on the floor where they had left them the night before, and handed them to him, turning around so he could secure her arms. A strange sense of pride drifted from him, and she couldn't help noticing that he took more than a little pleasure clicking them into place. Neither of them said anything about it.

That done, Ben picked up his helmet. He stared at it a moment, a look of strong distaste on his features. Taking a deep breath, he slid it over his head and moved the chin piece into position.

<Are you ready for this?> Rey asked him.

<Probably not. Are you?> he replied.

<One way to find out,> she reasoned.

He nodded, and then grew very still, concentrating. Then she felt something strange through the bond, as if it had grown muted and thin. Ben staggered, taking half a step away from her.

<Ben, are you okay?> she asked.

Rage flared along the bond, surprising her so much that she didn't even see his hand fly until it connected with her cheek. The loud slap filled the small quarters, filled the space between them with an unmistakable denial.

<Do not _ever_ call me that, > he hissed into her mind.

Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, more from the undisguised hatred in his words than the sting of her cheek. She touched the red-hot skin, and bit back a retort. Well, at least she knew the plan had worked.

"I'm sorry, Master," she said aloud. "It won't happen again."

"Good," he growled, his voice altered by the mask as much as his personality had been altered by cutting off his memories. But the title had calmed him, a little, appeasing his rage.

Still, the grip he took on her upper hand to lead her out the door was not a gentle one. As he led her through the corridors without any explanation as to where they were going, she felt her heart sink.

In a strange way, she felt very alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, folks. This is all the more touchy-feely this path gets. From here on out it's angst and suffering and really disfunctional sex. You have been warned. *B-movie villain laughter*


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't been posting lately because I haven't been able to run the chapters through Grammarly or get them beta'd. But I'm tired of making you wait, so have a couple chapters and please forgive me for any errors and my profligate use of commas.

Rey followed Kylo down the maze of corridors, trying her best to keep up. He walked so fast his footsteps rang on the duristeel, and with his long legs he was eating up ground far more quickly than she could. His grip on her arm had only lessened slightly, and gave her no choice but to scramble along at his side.

Although it was hard to tell, since most of the other people they passed were stormtroopers wearing their unreadable helmets, she felt as if everyone were staring at her. Hardly surprising, as she was dressed in prisoner's garb, had her wrists bound, and probably had a large red handprint across her face.

The slap still stung a bit, but she pushed the pain aside. She would just have to be more careful with Ben - or rather Kylo, in the future.

<Where are we going?> she asked silently when she felt well and truly lost. This ship was enormous! Kylo didn't respond, so she followed it up with, <Master?>

That got his attention. He glanced at her, his mask turning toward her fractionally. They came to a lift, and he led them in, punching a button labeled "Communications Room." That didn't tell Rey much, but it was something.

"Supreme Leader Snoke will contact us soon with instructions on what to do with you," he said aloud, then added silently, <It's better if we get there first.>

"Yes, Master," she replied. It was surprising how quickly she was getting used to addressing him as such.

<It might be better if you didn't call me that in front of the Supreme Leader,> Kylo admitted.

<I understand,> she agreed. Anything that Snoke hadn't directly approved could probably get them in trouble. <Maybe I just shouldn't say anything?> she guessed.

Kylo turned towards her, inscrutable in his mask. <That would probably be best. You learn quickly, my apprentice.>

Him calling her his apprentice shouldn't have sent a shiver of pleasure through her body, but it did. Now that they were here, now that they were really going to do this - or at least pretend to - Rey found a visceral appeal to it that she hadn't expected. She felt a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. <I will try, Master.>

Suddenly, Kylo grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up into the grill of his mask. She blinked rapidly, trying to figure out where she'd messed up. This version of him was so hard to predict, she felt completely unbalanced.

<You're... genuinely enjoying this, aren't you?> His mental voice was tinged with something like wonder. He released her chin slowly, his thumb rubbing the line of her jaw as if in apology.

Rey felt her face flush. <Yes?> she answered. Suddenly it clicked - he thought she'd been mocking him.

Shaking his head, Kylo turned back toward the lift's door. <That won't last much longer,> he said ruefully. The doors opened before she could ask what he meant. Kylo took hold of her arm - gently, this time, she noticed - and led her out into another corridor.

As they turned a corner, Rey felt Kylo's sudden anger. She'd been focusing on keeping up and lifted her head to see General Hux waiting in front of a pair of doors. He was tapping away on a datapad, and a lower ranking officer waited nearby.

"Ah, Ren," the General said without looking up. "Conveniently prescient as usual." He made a few more notes on the datapad and then handed it to the waiting officer, who left immediately. "I was just about to notify you that Supreme Leader Snoke has requested your presence." When he finally looked up, his gaze slid across Kylo and landed on Rey, locking. He frowned. "I was told you had processed the prisoner," he said through clenched teeth.

"I have," Kylo said simply, daring the other man to challenge his word.

"She has not been depilinated. She could be carrying vermin," the General pointed out.

"She is not carrying vermin," Kylo said, exasperated, "So I deemed it unnecessary."

Hux raised an eyebrow. "Unnecessary, or unattractive?"

Anger flared along the bond between her and Kylo. Hux had called his bluff - and worse, he was right. Kylo clenched his fist and then opened it again. Rey could feel his urge to take his lightsaber and slice the man in half. She could taste it, it was so strong.

"It's not a matter of aesthetics, but rather usefulness," he said at last. To demonstrate, Kylo grabbed the loose bun he had put her hair in and yanked backward.

Rey cried out, arching her neck and then her back, trying not to unbalance without the use of her hands. When he released her, she shot upwards and teetered a bit. Several strands escaped and hung in her face.

Hux's expression was completely unreadable as he stared at her for a moment before turning back to Kylo. "Nonetheless, she can't be allowed to see Supreme Leader Snoke."

Sighing, Kylo pulled the ragged half-cloak he wore off over his mask. He then placed it over Rey's shoulders, pulling the hood up and over her face so that all she could see was her feet. "Then she won't," he said.

Rey really would have liked to see Hux's reaction to that, but a chime came from the double doors they were standing next to, and both men snapped to attention. She heard the doors hiss open, and then they were moving, striding down a long path. The sound of their footsteps echoed, it sounded as if the room was enormous. From what little she could see, it was also mostly darkened.

A blue light flickered into life, reflected on the floor. Kylo genuflected beside her and pulled her down to kneel as well. Hux remained standing but clicked his heels. She thought he might have bowed or saluted.

"So..." A gravelly voice resonated throughout the chamber they were in. "This is the scavenger girl who has caused so much trouble."

"Yes, Supreme Leader," Kylo responded, bowing his head.

"Let me see her," the voice ordered.

Kylo stood, and pulled the half-cloak from her shoulders roughly. Her hair fell loose from its knot, spilling around her shoulders. Peering up through it, Rey felt her mouth fall open.

The figure before them was ten times the size of a human man, and although she knew it was just a hologram, could see the projectors far above, he had a presence to match. His skull was disfigured, his face like that of a rotting corpse. He didn't look like something that should still be alive.

But worse still, when he leaned forward and stared at her, she could feel him looking into her. No matter how many lightyears he was away from them, somehow, through the Force, he was there, too. She could feel the fingers of his presence probing at the edges of her mind.

"And you are certain she is gifted in the Force?" he asked.

"Very," Kylo responded. "She bested me in lightsaber combat by predicting my moves and how to counter them, with no training. She pushed into my own mind when I attempted to find the map in hers. What little training I've been able to give her since, she has taken to immediately. I've never seen this kind of talent."

Snoke didn't react much to these words, but from the corner of her eye, she saw Hux reassessing her with some trepidation.

"Girl," Snoke said, drawing her full attention once more. "Who are your parents?"

Rey blinked back sudden tears and realized he was influencing her, somehow. "I... I don't know. I don't remember them, really."

He sat back in his giant throne, one hand stroking his malformed chin. "Well, that solves some complications."

Beside her, Kylo quivered like a struck bell but kept himself contained.

"Take her to the facility on Mustafar," he decreed, waving his hand dismissively. "Test her thoroughly. I want to be sure."

She felt a wave of disappointment from Kylo, but he only bowed and said, "Yes, Supreme Leader."

"I shall plot a course to Mustafar immediately, Supreme Leader," Hux announced.

"Very good. If the results are favorable, then you will bring her to me. You are dismissed, General"

Hux pressed his fist to his chest and gave a short bow. He glanced quickly at Kylo, and then Rey, and then left, his heels ringing against the duristeel. When the doors closed behind him, Snoke shifted, putting his hands on the arms of his throne.

"Kylo Ren. You have been lax in your meditations lately," he accused.

"I apologize, my Master. My attentions were focused on preparing the trap for the girl," he temporized.

The giant hologram appeared to consider this for a moment. "Very well. I will speak with you later, then. We have much to discuss."

"Yes, my Master. I look forward to your teachings." The words sounded recited and formal. Kylo bowed, and when he lifted his head, the hologram had disappeared once more.

Kylo let out a long breath, and Rey noticed that the hand which didn't hold the cloak was shaking slightly.

<Are you alright?> she asked tentatively.

"Get up," he said instead.

Rey stood as he settled the half-cloak on his own shoulders once more. Without answering her, he led her out of the audience chamber - for that was what it felt like to Rey - and back towards his quarters.

She was struck by the ridiculous inconvenience of it all. Kylo could have easily taken the short message from his quarters, or Hux from the Council Room near the bridge. There was no reason for them to have to traverse the length of the enormous ship just for that.

Kylo said nothing the whole way back to his quarters. As soon as the door closed behind them, he took off his mask and set it carefully on a small shelf. "There's a nutrient station here," he touched a button to power it up. "You can eat whatever you like," he suggested.

Rey couldn't help but feel a twinge of excitement. The idea that she could eat whatever and whenever she wanted seemed like an unreasonable luxury. Even on Ach-To, they'd had to be careful with their resources. "Thank you," she said quietly.

He didn't respond, only came over and undid her wrist binders, setting them aside. "I will likely be meditating for several hours," he explained. "Do not disturb me for any reason." Silently, he added, <You must not try to speak to me like this, either, or access the bond.>

"Of course," she replied. <Why not?>

<For your own safety. I don't want him getting ahold of you. Not yet,> Kylo told her.

Rey realized now what Snoke had meant when he said Kylo had neglected his meditations. He intended to invade Kylo's mind and stow away the things he didn't like again.

<Oh Kylo...> she said, reaching out to him. She half expected him to flinch away, but instead, he pulled her to him roughly and kissed her. It was a greedy, hungry kiss, too rough by half and so fierce she could hardly breathe. But it was a kiss. When it had ended, he rested his forehead against hers a minute, eyes closed as his breathing slowed.

<You will undo me, Rey.>

She didn't have the heart to tell him that she already had. <Go. Be careful. I'll be here for you when you're done.>

He took a deep breath, and let go of her. He went to a door in the corner of his quarters. It opened to a white chamber which held only a plinth on which rested a twisted mess of plasteel, something that looked almost like a skull. In a strange way, it reminded Rey of Kylo's mask. And then the door shut, blocking her out. Kylo would have to face Snoke alone.

Rey tried to distract herself by going through the nutrient station's options, but she couldn't focus on any of the descriptions. In the end, she chose a creamy meat dish that sounded familiar - she thought it was what they had eaten that first night on the shuttle, the last time they were together. She ate it slowly, for once, remembering.

In a way, this version of Ben - Kylo - wasn't all that unfamiliar. He was much the same as he'd been when they first met: volatile, unpredictable, and skittish. It almost felt as if all of the time between their meetings hadn't happened, and she had a surreal moment of wondering if they really had been dreams.

But then she looked over at the bed and remembered the night before. No, that had been real. Ben was still in there, tucked safely away, for exactly the purpose Kylo was serving now.

When she'd finished the meal, Rey curled up in the bed. It had been remade with clean sheets, but it still felt comforting. She could feel the echoes of their bliss in the Force, and let that soothe her ragged nerves.

She wished she had the talisman back, so she could send a message to the Resistance letting them know she was okay, but that could wait until it was safe for Ben to reemerge. The less Kylo knew the better.

As she lay staring out the viewport, the distant stars stretched out and became the swirling maelstrom of hyperspace. They were on their way to somewhere called Mustafar, where she would be tested. She was perceptive enough to sense that Kylo wasn't happy about that, but she tried to push away that concern for when they arrived.

Time dragged on, and still Kylo didn't come out of his meditation chamber. Rey was still exhausted from the night before, and the hypnotic lights of hyperspace were more than enough to lull her back into a restless, fitful sleep.

* * *

 

Hours later, Rey was awoken by the sound of Kylo exiting his meditation chamber. He stumbled a little, and she shot out of bed to go to him.

<Are you okay? Did he hurt you?> she asked.

He winced, and stared at her for a moment, out of it.

<Kylo, are you alright?> She put her hand on his chest, tentatively. "Master?" she tried.

"I need you to stop talking and get back on the bed," he said in a rough voice. It sounded like he had been screaming, or crying.

Blinking, Rey did as he had commanded. She then watched as he took off his half-cloak, robe, tunic, arm guards, and boots. All the while she worried. Now that the danger of Snoke finding him had passed, Ben should be able to open his memories and be himself again. But this was definitely still Kylo, she could feel the Darkness seething around him. It was strangely magnetic, and she felt she could easily be pulled into it.

When he finally collapsed on the bed he reached for her, and she went to him, fitting herself against his side as naturally as if she belonged there. He turned them so that she was on her back, pinned up against the wall, and he was half-hovering above her. At first she felt trapped, almost claustrophobic, but a rush of feeling through their bond told her the truth: he was trying to protect her, to hide her.

He kissed her then, his mouth demanding and rough against hers. She gave up everything she could, yielding to comfort him, all the while trying to figure out how she could convince him to open the door in his mind when he didn't even know it was there.

Before long she felt him grow hard between them and snaked a hand down to palm him through his pants. He groaned, and pulled away to stare at her, heat in his eyes.

<Eager, aren't you?> he teased.

<I want to make you feel better,> she answered honestly. <Let me help you, Kylo.>

He lifted an eyebrow, and the corners of his lips tugged into something like a smile. <Well, you don't have to ask twice.> His hand, which had been cupping her cheek, moved to the back of her head and then pressed gently downward.

Rey got the message instantly, and her cheeks flamed. _Why?_ she wondered, _didn't I ask for this earlier?_ Still, she moved to obey, shifting down the bed until she was even with the waistband of his pants. He rolled onto his back, hastily pushing both pants and underwear out of the way.

His cock sprang free, eager to meet her lips, and she did not hesitate lest she lose her courage. Taking hold of the base with one hand, she slipped as much as she could into her mouth. Kylo hissed a curse, his back arching, pushing up further into her throat. Rey suppressed the urge to gag, and began to work her hand along the shaft, pumping gently.

<Does that feel good?> she asked.

Kylo groaned. <You have no idea,> he told her.

<Show me,> she begged. <Let me feel what you feel, Kylo. Open up to the bond and let me in.>

There was a moment's hesitation from him, until she pulled back a bit to drag her tongue up the length of him. He shuddered, and then she felt the echo of his pleasure through their bond. The pit of her stomach tightened in response, and she moaned against his skin. That sent another ripple of pleasure between them, and she fed it back, letting the echoes build.

As she expected, he only opened himself wider to her. She took him back into her mouth, bobbing her head and working her hand in counterpoint. He clutched the bedcovers in both hands, head pressed into the pillow and legs twitching in time with her movements. He was close now, she could feel it, and the pleasure threatened to overwhelm her as well. But she fought to keep her head clear, to wait until just the right moment.

His climax lanced through the bond like white-hot lightening, and she grabbed on to the connection with all of her mental focus. Just a little _push_ and suddenly she was inside of his mind. The swirling colors moved with the same violent intensity as hyperspace. Kylo hovered before her, his face caught between ecstacy and pain as the feedback loop of his pleasure washed over him.

Satisfied he was distracted, Rey turned away and made for the door that Ben had locked his memories behind. Before, she had been able to reach it in a moment, but now it moved towards her slowly, like running towards something in a dream.

It didn't take Kylo long to notice what she had done. He was still raw from Snoke's interrogation, and the pain of her intrusion soon overtook his pleasure.

<What are you doing?> he demanded, following her.

<I'll explain everything in a moment, I just need to...> she cried out as he lashed out against her. Glancing behind her, she could see him following her, gaining. He reached out, and a crackle of electricity shot through the air between them, searing her.

<Get out of my head!> he shouted.

<Kylo, please, I'm trying to help you!> she cried. The door was drawing closer, she was almost there.

<I'll fucking kill you!> he yelled back, drawing his lightsaber. Rey wasn't sure what effect it would have on her while she was incorporeal, but she didn't think it would be good to find out.

When he was almost an arm's reach away from her, he lifted the blade high for a killing strike. Just at that moment, she finally reached the door and slammed her hand down on the access panel, scrabbling to punch in any four numbers.

The doors hissed open, and Kylo was struck by a wave of black and blue  projectiles, his memories returning to him. He staggered backwards, lightsaber held high, as they drove into him, one by one. The last to return was the small, bright star, which burned it's way back into his chest.

The pain was so intense that Rey was thrown from his mind and back to her own. For a moment, she couldn't breathe, and then she coughed, choking up his spend, spitting it out into her hands. Beside her, Kylo - no Ben, she thought - let out a sob and opened his eyes.

"Rey!" he sat up, reaching for her.

<They're listening,> she reminded him quickly, blinking tears out of her eyes.

<Rey, oh, kriff, what have I done?> he moaned. He pulled her into his arms, settling her in his lap. They sat that way for a long time, the both of them crying softly.

<We forgot to give you a way out,> Rey said after a time.

Ben sighed. <Yes. I hadn't thought he would fight so hard to stay in control. I didn't even realize that Kylo could be seperate from me somehow. I hate him.>

Rey felt a smile pull at her lips. <He's not my favorite, but he's not the worst either,> she admitted. <I can get used to him again.>

<How are we going to fix this?> he asked, running his hands through her hair.

<There should be a trigger, like in coding. Something I can say to make you come back.Something I wouldn't say on accident, though,> she reasoned.

He nodded, kissing her temple, and thought about it a moment. <How about Ellyria?> he asked quietly.

It took Rey a moment to remember, and he sent her the image of a frail, violet-skinned Kishiri. The image brought with it a world of guilt and shame. The first girl he'd ever loved, who Snoke had ordered him to kill. <Are you sure you want something that painful?>

Ben sighed. He moved her to one side, and then got up, padding naked to the nutrient station. He came back with a glass of water, and handed it to her. <Coming back is painful,> he told her. <Especially since I imagine I'll have to process whatever horrible thing he's done while I was away.>

Rey took the glass and sipped it. It eased the burning in her throat but didn't do much for the bitter taste. <What made you think of her?>

He gave an uncomfortable cough. < She was... particularly talented at what you just tried to do,> he admitted.

She choked on the water, laughed, and tried to cover it with a cough. <Was I that bad?> she asked.

<Full points for enthusiasm,> he teased, <but it's not usually a race to the finish like that. Although, I know now you were just trying to get inside my head.>

<Well,> she set the glass aside, half finished. <Not _just._ >

Ben smiled and pulled her back into his lap, kissing her. <You'll get plenty of practice, I'm sure,> he said darkly, and then tumbled her back onto the bed. <But for now, let me return the favor.>

Rey could tell Ben was stalling, in a way, choosing to focus on the opportunity to be with her rather than face what was ahead of them. But for the moment, she was happy to forget herself in him as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friendly reminder that Kylo Ren is not a good person, and Kylo is still part of Ben.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of the material in this chapter is the same as Chapter 5 of the High Road, particularly Rey's vision, but there are important differences, too, so if you're readng both keep your eyes open for those ;)

Rey followed Kylo down the dark hallway. For once, she was grateful for how thin her prisoner shift was, as the planet they had landed on was hotter than Jakku. She hadn't even known such a thing was possible, but as the entire planet was a mass of roiling volcanos and lava, it was.

It was also very strong with the Dark Side of the Force. Something had happened here, she could feel it. Something that seemed to resonate with Kylo, to swirl around him and hang on the edges of his cloak. Something that tugged at a corner of her mind, but she pushed it away to be examined later.

A large pair of doors opened, revealing a bright white light that somehow failed to illuminate all the corners of the hall. A man in a white uniform came out and saluted Kylo crisply, then turned to lead them deeper into the facility.

It had been difficult to say goodbye to Ben that morning. He had given her a cursory description of what the testing would entail, but had chosen to leave her mostly in the dark. He said her reactions to the tests were important, and telling her too much could influence that.

So she knew that she would be pushed to her limits, physically and mentally, but not much more than that. If the tests pushed beyond her limits, she would be resuscitated and healed. Small comfort, that.

At last the white-clad officer opened a door and indicated that they should go within. The room it led to was white, with one entire wall made of thick, transparent plasteel. There were large drains in the floor, and two pairs of manacles - one hung from the ceiling and the other was attached to the floor.

When Kylo had led her to the center of the room, he turned and faced her. "Strip," he ordered.

Rey did so quickly, handing her clothes to him as she took them off. She didn't mind being naked in front of him, but it was difficult to ignore the group of scientists beyond the plasteel, each of them manning a station and watching her expectantly.

When she was naked, Kylo handed her clothes to the officer, and proceeded to put her hands in the upper set of manacles. She had to keep her arms raised to reach them, almost on her tip-toes. He bent down to attach the second pair to her ankles, and she had a moment to wonder why the chains for them were so long before she began to rise. The chains that led to her wrists were retracting into the ceiling, and continued to do so until she was pulled taught. The metal bit in to her wrists painfully, and she could already feel her fingertips losing circulation.

<Not a peep,> Kylo sounded impressed. <You're doing well, my apprentice.> He slid one gloved hand along her naked hip, and she felt a thrum of desire from him as he imagined what else could be done with her in such a position.

<How long will this test take, Master?> she asked, squirming against her bonds.

<Not long.> Without another word, he left the room, and the door shut and was sealed.

A few moments later, water began to pour down from the ceiling. Before it even reached her suspended feet she could tell it was freezing, the temperature in the room was dropping quickly. When it finally touched her toes, she couldn't help a gasp. It was so cold it hurt.

She tried to keep her breathing steady, tried to remember the techniques Luke had begun teaching her to use the Force to keep her body warm. But the water rose very quickly - it was up to her waist now, and she could barely feel her feet. Up, up, it rose, and when it reached her shoulders and didn't seem to be slowing, she began to draw deeper breaths, realizing she'd have to hold it.

This was not something she was good at. She'd never been submerged in water before she left Jakku. Luke had given her cursory swimming lessons, for safety's sake, but the waters of Ach-To were too cold for her to spend much time in it.

This water was much colder.

Just before her head was engulfed, Rey caught sight of Kylo behind the plasteel barrier. He stood with arms crossed, tense but confident. She could do this.

And then it was past her eyes, and she squeezed them shut to keep it out. The water continued up until even her hands were covered. To a certain extent, this was a relief, as her weight was no longer hanging off her wrists. She thought there was some tug to her ankles, as her bouyancy pulled her upward, but they were almost numb so it was hard to tell.

Rey tried to stay calm as she waited for the next part of the test, the seconds ticking by as she held her breath. But nothing happened. She opened her eyes against the sting of the water and blinked, trying to see. What was she supposed to do?

Panic began to trickle in past her calm. She couldn't hold her breath much longer. She tugged at the manacles, hoping that the water and numbness would help her slip free, but to no avail. The edges of her vision started to darken, and her heartbeat was pounding in her head. She needed to breathe, wanted to scream.

She could see a dark smear through the water - Kylo. <What am I supposed to do???> she asked him frantically.

<Fight,> he replied simply. She could tell he immediately regretted it, had meant to say nothing. But it didn't help her anyway.

Spots began to pepper her vision. She couldn't think, was overcome with an animalistic urge to escape, to breathe, to live. She yanked against her bonds, and then, forgetting, screamed. Water flooded into her lungs, burning them. Everything started going dark.

_No!_ she thought. _I won't give up!_ Reaching deep within herself, she found something waiting. Taking hold of it, she pushed outwards with all of her might. Distantly, she thought she heard something.

Then, suddenly, something was pulling hard against her wrists and ankles. Her head cleared the water, and she struggled to take a breath in when her lungs were already full. She coughed and tried again, and while it hurt like her throat had been ripped out, it worked a little better. She coughed again, and drew in more air.

The tugging continued, and when her sight cleared she saw the water receding. It was pulling against her as it drained, but it didn't seem to be going down the drains in the floor. Instead, it poured out where the plasteel barrier had been. Now, there were only thick, jagged shards of it protruding from the walls.

Shouting came from the room beyond, and the sound of a workstation as it overloaded, giving off a small explosion. The water stopped pouring when it reached the bottom of the newly-made hole in the wall. Kylo dragged himself against the current and stepped through into the water. Had he saved her?

She felt for the bond, expecting him to be furious at her failure, or at her almost being drowned. Instead, he was _thrilled_. She got the impression that he was grinning behind his mask, the happiest she'd ever seen him.

<You beautiful, perfect girl,> he crooned as he waded towards her. Reaching up, he used the force to break the chains that held her, and caught her in his arms.

She could only cough up more water and cling to him, shivering. <What happened?>

His incredulous laugh sounded strange through his mask. <You passed! You half-destroyed the place, but you passed with flying colors,> he gestured to the chaos around them.

<I.... I passed? Did I do this?> The water began to drain from beneath them, and he set her down so he could free her ankles.

<Yes. The test is supposed to elicit a panic response, which can be measured a number of different ways. Sometimes the chains break, sometimes the drains open. They were just about to drain it when you blew the plasteel open,> he explained excitedly.

Rey blinked, and tried to think around the burning in her lungs. <Was anyone hurt?>

He glanced up at her. <Probably.>

She tried to drum up the appropriate guilt, but felt nothing but cold. <Why did the water have to be so cold?>

Kylo stood, and wrapped his arms around her. It didn't help much, since he was also soaking wet, but it made her feel better. <It makes it easier to resucitate the ones that fail. The cold sends the body into hyperthermic shock, which slows the damage from the lack of oxygen.>

Rey frowned. <That's thoughtful of them,> she said sarcastically.

The door opened, showing the face of the very surprised officer. Kylo picked her up in both arms and carried her out. <We'll get you into some dry clothes,> he promised. <The next test is much less... uncomfortable.>

* * *

 

Rey wasn't so sure she agreed. She'd been given warm clothes, yes, but then she'd been hooked up to every imaginable monitor possible. Electrodes had been glued into her hair all over her scalp, bands had been placed around her chest to measure her breathing. A tube that ran under her nose measured her oxygen and carbon dioxide output, and a clamp on her finger read her pulse and blood oxygen levels. A hundred different wires led to a box which sat atop a rolling cart.

<Can't they just use scanners to monitor my vitals?> she asked Kylo peevishly.

<Scanners tend to malfunction during this part of the test,> he explained. <Considering your last response, they're being cautious.>

Rey allowed herself to be led to a strange-looking pod. The outside was white and elliptical, like a giant egg on it's side. The inside was a black so dark it seemed to swallow the light. As she got into the pod, she discovered that it contained a small repulsor-lift bed, which made her float weightlessly a foot above the bottom. The cables to her monitors were fed through a series of tubes, and one of the scientists gave her a small injection. Then the lid was closed.

Inside, it was perfectly dark, and perfectly silent. She felt whatever she'd been injected with swimming through her bloodstream, and found within moments that she couldn't move. Her breathing slowed but held steady. She thought she felt her eyelids fluttering, but there was no difference between when they were open and closed, so it was hard to tell. She reached for her bond with Kylo, for something tangible to hold on to, but found him strangely shuttered from her. Was it an effect of the drug, or had he deliberately blocked her out?

Without any frame of reference, Rey began to feel as though she were sinking, and then falling through the empty void of space. Her heartbeat accellerated, and she struggled to stay calm with no conscious control of her breath. How long had she been in the pod? A minute? An hour? A cycle? Forever?

Finally, Rey began to feel as if she had no body at all. She floated, weightless. It felt very much like when Kylo had invaded her mind, or when she had visited his. Maybe that was where she was, inside her mind. But it was still dark, no swirling colors surrounded her. She felt only the Dark Side, seething and roiling like the rivers of lava that cris-crossed this planet. It seemed to wash over her, to touch her with curious fingers. _Who are you?_ it seemed to ask. _Why have you come here?_

A sensation jolted through Rey - tears on her face. A deep and wrenching sorrow consumed her, and she couldn't place it. Someone was crying - was it her? She didn't think so. And then words seemed to come from the darkness, distant and muffled.

_Anakin, you're breaking my heart!_

__

You turned her against me!

__

_You have done that yourself!_

Pain, so much pain, lancing through her legs and one arm, fire burning along her skin. Hotter still was the rage, the hatred that blazed within her.

_I loved you, Anakin,_ someone shouted. _You were my brother!_

And there was more, so much more suffering and hurt. Hundreds of people, their faces flashing before her until they all blurred together. They cried, and screamed, or shook silently. Some called out names she didn't recognize. Then suddenly, her focus stopped on one little girl, with hazel eyes and wavy brown hair.

"Mama..." she cried, her voice thin and rough from screaming. "Mama, come back..."

Rey felt an incredibly overpowering urge to to reach out to the little girl, to hold her close and comfort her. She wanted so badly just to touch her, to see recognition in her eyes...

Suddenly, light intruded into her visions. It was so bright she could hardly stand it. She tried to close her eyes, but they were already squeezed shut.

"Turn the lights down," she heard Kylo order.

The piercing quality of the light dimmed, and she was able to open her eyes a fraction. Kylo took one of her hands between his gloved ones and squeezed it gently. The feel of the pressure, the texture of his glove, was almost overwhelming.

"Did I pass?" she mumbled, her mouth not quite moving like she wanted it to.

"Yes," Kylo answered bluntly. "Go to sleep." He passed a hand over her face, and she had no choice but to obey.

* * *

 

Rey was dreaming, she knew. She sat on the shores of the lake on Takodana, watching as the color bled from the sky. But she didn't think she was alone.

Sure enough, Kylo came up behind her and sat next to her, chucking a pebble into the water and disturbing the stillness of the lake with a series of ripples that moved out endlessly.

"What happened? How long was I in that pod?" she asked.

"Barely over an hour. The paralytic hadn't had a chance to wear off, which is why I put you back to sleep." He scowled, seeming worried.

"You said I passed, though?" she asked nervously.

He laughed, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "Oh, you passed. You were in there only a few minutes when they started to see the neural activity on their monitors, which meant you were having visions. That was the point of the test, but yours were rather extraordinary, and they had plenty of time so they decided to see how strong the visions would get."

"I heard voices. They called out your grandfather's name," she explained.

Kylo, who had been staring out across the lake, turned sharply to look at her. She debated telling him that she thought one of them might have been Padme, before she recalled that Kylo didn't remember his grandmother. Those memories were tucked away with Ben, and it wasn't time yet to let him back out.

"I had... similar visions when I was tested," he admitted.

"There was a man, he said Anakin was his brother...?" she asked instead. That one hadn't been Padme, but it was somehow familiar.

Kylo nodded. "Obi-wan Kenobi bested the newly-dubbed Darth Vader on Mustafar," he explained. "He had been his Master, before that. They must have been close. What a thing to say to someone right after you've hacked off three of his limbs," he said bitterly.

Rey frowned. She knew who Obi-wan Kenobi was, he head trained Luke, too, and was who Ben was named after. But there was something else about the voice she had heard. She thought she'd heard it somewhere else, but where?

And then there was the little girl. Now, distanced from the vision, she recognized her as the memory of her mother that Anakin had given her. Why had she showed up among the ghosts of Mustafar?

"They stopped the test because things started flying around the lab," Kylo told her bluntly, dragging her out of her thoghts.

"What?" Rey blinked.

"At first it was just small things, lifting a bit. They didn't even notice it at first, although I did. Then some of the larger machines levitated too. One of the scientists had a cup of caf on her desk - it flew against the wall and shattered," he told her.

She shuddered. Ghosts indeed. "So I definitely passed, then?"

He smiled, a genuine smile of pride and satisfaction. "Yes. There are more tests, but they're just endurance checks. They don't even run them if you don't pass the first two."

She smiled back, that same warm feeling that came with his approval flooding her chest. It unsettled her a little, that she was so eager to please Kylo. But she reminded herself that Kylo was part of Ben, and so that made sense, she supposed.

"I should let you rest," Kylo stood. The sky had grown completely dark, and the only light was a bonfire burning across the lake, reflected in it's waters. "You'll need your strength tomorrow."

Rey stood too, and pulled him into a hug. Kylo didn't move for a moment, confused by the sudden show of affection. "You won't really understand this," she murmured into his robes. "But I'm very glad you're here. Even if I shouldn't be."

Kylo's hand came to rest on the back of her head, and he sighed. "I'm glad you feel that way, for now."

She looked up, surprised.

He grimaced. "Once the testing is complete, your training will begin," he explained. "And that will be much worse." He let her go, and walked off into the shadows of the forest.

Rey sat back down on the banks of the lake. She felt cold.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first scene of this chapter is the same as Chapter 6 of the High Road, so if you've already read that one you can skip to the first line break.

Rey wasn't sure at first if she was awake or asleep. She was being marched through the hallways of the training facility on Mustafar, but everything was different. The stormtroopers' armor looked different, and there were so many people, bustling everywhere. The hallways were wider, taller, and the stormtroopers were all much taller than her.

And she wanted her mama.

It was that last thought that jolted Rey into the realization that she was dreaming. Not that she hadn't longed for her family with that same aching desire, but this was far more acute and specific. She wanted her Mama, who looked like this and smelled like juba fruit and sang lullubies to her. Rey remembered none of those things.

The dream shifted, and she was drowning. She cried and screamed, but her lungs only filled with water. There was nothing to reach for to help. Waking again, her lungs burning. The awful darkness... hours and hours of just nothing. Crying for her mama, and no one answering.

At last, exhausted, she sat on an examination table. She felt like crying but no tears would come. One of the mean people in white stood in front of her, making notes on a datapad.

The door to the room hissed open, and in walked the scary man who had brought her here. His head was white like the snow on that one planet Mama had taken her to - what was it called? She couldn't remember - and there were red marks on his cheeks like he'd been crying blood. He wore black.

"I heard the testing has been aborted?" the scary man asked.

"Yes. She's failed the first two tests, Inquisitor," the man in white handed over the datapad.

The scary man, the Inquisitor - she turned the new word over in her head carefully - took it and looked through it a moment. "But her midichlorian count is so high," he commented, frowning.

The mean man nodded. "It happens that way sometimes. The ability goes dormant for a generation or two. Sometimes it never resurfaces. No one really knows why."

The Inquisitor looked up at her, considering. "So her offspring could be Force-users?"

"Precisely. Which is why I've reccomended sterilization," the man in white gestured to the datapad.

The scary man tapped the datapad against his hand, but didn't look away from her. "No, they could be useful to the Empire if we take them early enough."

The mean man nodded. "As you command, Inquisitor."

The Inquisitor handed the datapad back, and came to stand right in front of her, even crouching a little so he was on the same level as her. "What is your name, little girl?" he asked.

"Zara," she croaked.

"Zara. That's a pretty name. Zara, did your mommy ever do strange things, like lift objects up without touching them, or know what other people were thinking?"

She nodded. Mama had been careful to hide what she could do, but not from Zara.

"Well, Zara, I hate to tell you this, but those things your mommy did were very bad," he growled. "You must never, ever try to do those things, yes?"

Her body quivering, she nodded.

"And if you ever see anybody do those things, you must find an Imperial Officer and tell them about it right away." There was something funny about his voice, it felt heavy.

"I'll find a ossifer and tell them right away," she agreed.

"Good girl. And you'll forget all about this place," he added.

She nodded. "Forget this place." She didn't want to remember it anyway.

"Excellent." The Inquisitor stood, and turned back to the man in white. "Put her with a loyal family, on one of the nicer agricultural worlds. See to it she's fed adequately."

"Yes, Inquisitor," the man agreed.

The dream shifted through a series of images.  A planet, covered entirely in squares of green and brown and gold. A portly woman and a muscular man, who became her new Mama and Papa. Warm days of hard work on the farm, repairing the machinery and droids that helped with the growing and harvesting. The smile of the young man from the next farm over, Joden was his name. He made her laugh.

The day that whispers came that the Emperor had been killed. The growing chaos as the Imperial garrison that oversaw the planet's industry tried to keep them calm and keep things running. Rumors that the shipments of the food they grew never left planetside, and sat rotting away. Having to do with less and less, and still the imperials took their harvests.

The day that Joden told her that some of the farmers were going to overthrow the garrison, and he was going with them. She should come too, he told her, but she could only shake her head. She spent the day hidden in the cellar, convinced he would never come back.

But he did come back. The garrison had fallen easily - they'd been fighting amongst themselves when the farmers attacked. Joden came back with nothing more serious than a gash on his arm, and he told her they were safe. The Empire had long since fallen, and the New Republic was already brokering a deal for the export of their crops. Everything would be okay now.

Zara wasn't sure if she believed him, but she married Joden anyway. They were happy for a time, and lost themselves in the cycle of plant, grow, harvest. Soon she felt her own cycles shift, and gave birth to a little girl. Joden couldn't be happier, but Zara found she was always wary around the babe. There was something, something she couldn't quite remember. Something she should be watching out for.

One day, Zara caught her daughter climbing the tall Juba fruit tree next to their house. She'd scolded her many times for this - not only was the fruit delicate and valuable, but the girl could fall and hurt herself. As Zara rushed towards the tree - how had such a tiny child gotten up so far? - she heard a sharp crack and felt her stomach drop.

She watched, in horror, as her only child fell a good ten meters straight towards the hard, unforgiving ground. But at the last moment, the child seemed to slow, and landed on her feet like one of the lyxxa they kept to hunt the rodents out of the granaries. The branch she had fallen from had come crashing down, too, but it hung in the air above her daughter's head, slowly turning before it shifted and dropped neatly to the ground beside the girl.

Zara felt her blood run cold.

Joden ran out of the house, and scooped up the girl. "Kyra, are you okay?" he asked. "You know you shouldn't do that!" the girl only giggled and hugged her father back. He turned to look at Zara. "It's okay, she's not hurt."

Zara stood frozen. She knew what she was supposed to do. But there were no Imperial officers anymore, no one to tell. Her head hurt suddenly, and she sat hard of the ground.

Her husband came to her and rubbed her back, assuming it was the shock of the event that had her upset. She couldn't tell him, couldn't let him know. He wouldn't understand.

That night, she didn't sleep. She knew she had to do something. A memory tugged at the corners of her mind. Something she thought her mother had told her, although the memory seemed wrong somehow. Her Mama was plump and soft, and this woman was thin and muscular, but she was sure it was her Mama. She told her that if she ever needed to hide, she should find the old man in the desert. He would take care of her.

But what desert? There was no desert on her homeworld. She got up and booted up the old holonet set in the sitting room, searching for desert worlds. There was one not far away, called Jakku. She remembered hearing about a battle there, one of the Empire's last stands. Was that it?

When Joden left with the harvest, Zara took the small ship they were planning to pay off with this year's pay and left the planet. She couldn't remember ever being offworld, but the sight of the gridded surface looked hauntingly familiar.

She went to Jakku. She found no old man, but quickly located a merchant who promised to watch Kyra and take care of her. He didn't even ask for payment, so he must be a good man. Anything to keep her safe, keep her hidden, so no one would ever find out what she was.

Her last sight of her daughter was her screaming at her to come back - and didn't that feel familiar, too? She took one last look at the girl, her hair done up in three little buns, and left. It was the only way.

* * *

 

Rey sat up un bed, drenched in sweat and shivering. She flailed a little, the room she was in was unfamiliar and dark, lit only by an orange glow from the window.

"What is it?"

Kylo startled her so badly she jumped and started crying. She couldn't help it, couldn't process what she'd just seen and the stress of the testing, it was all too much.

He sighed, exasperated. "Don't do that," he told her.

She could only sob harder. Why did he have to be so mean?

"I said shut up!" he shouted, and slapped her across the face.

That jolted Rey into a strange, shocked calm. She stared at him in the dim light, barely recognizing him. He looked uncomfortable, and she realized he'd lashed out because he didn't know how to comfort her, and her fear had bled over into him.

"Now tell me what is wrong," he ordered, trying to stay in control.

She swallowed thickly. "Ellyria," she whispered.

The man before her crumpled, his expression contorting in pain for a moment. He passed a hand over his face, and blinked at his surroundings, and then focused on her.

<Rey, I can't be here,> he told her, slightly panicked.

<I know, I'm sorry, but I need you Ben.> She threw herself into his arms, and he sighed.

Laying them back down, he tucked her head against his chest and curled his huge frame around her. <What happened?>

<I dreamed about my mother,> she explained. <About both my parents.>

She felt his confusion through the bond. <Isn't that good? You wanted to know about your parents.>

<Yes, but...> she sniffed. <It was so awful. She failed the tests here, and there was a man, he used the mind trick to make her promise that if she ever saw someone using the Force she had to report them.>

<Oh, no...> Ben sighed. <Something happened when you were a child?>

Rey looked up at him through the darkness. <How did you know?>

<It happens often with Force-sensitive children. I had a few inexplicable events myself when I was little.>

Tucking her head back down again, Rey clutched him closer. <I fell out of a tree and didn't get hurt. She freaked out, the Empire was long gone and there was no one to report me to. She remembered her mother - my grandmother - telling her that there was an old man in the desert she could go to if she needed to hide.>

Ben groaned.

<What?> she frowned.

<Obi-wan Kenobi lived on Tattoine near Uncle Luke,> he explained. <Your grandmother must have known he was there somehow.>

Rey's heart sank. <I heard him in my vision. So... so I was supposed to go to Tattoine? To train with Obi-wan?> How could her mother make such a stupid mistake?

<It wouldn't have mattered,> Ben told her. <If the Empire had already been defeated, then Obi-wan was long dead.>

Rey felt cold. Wrapped in Ben's arms, surrounded by fields of lava, she could only feel a deep, biting coldness.

<She was trying to protect you,> Kylo reasoned.

<No,> Rey sighed. <She was trying to protect herself.>

Ben kissed the top of her head. <Go back to sleep> he told her. <This place is strong with the Dark Side, and it can twist your thoughts. I can't stay long.>

She nodded. <Sorry I dragged you back.>

He smiled a little in the darkness. <No, it's nice to feel needed,> he told her. <I love you, Rey. I promise I'll keep you safe, even if I have to be Kylo to do it.>

<I love you too,> she told him. <And I'll keep you safe too, Ben.>

She could feel it as he locked himself away again. Kylo blinked down at her, his face hard. He shifted her, and at first she thought he was pushing her away. But instead he turned her so her back faced his chest, and then wrapped his arm tightly around her waist. Curling himself around her, she felt an emotion pass between their bond - a mix of possessiveness and the primal urge to protect.

_You are mine,_ he seemed to say with his body, _and no one else is allowed to hurt you._

__

In a strange way, she almost found that more reassuring than Ben's words. 

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As much of an asshole as he is, there are still moments where I really love Kylo.


	7. Chapter 7

In the morning, Rey rose to complete her testing. There was a round of physical tests to measure her abilities running, jumping, and lifting. When that was done, a series of intelligence tests and puzzles to solve. They challenged her, but after the horrors of the day before, they were blissfully benign.

The last test alone made her squirm. A young man, one of the scientists' assistants, would look at a series of images, and she had to guess what they were. She didn't like the idea of delving into his mind.

<Can't you just stand where you can see the images and tell me what they are?> she asked Kylo.

He turned to face her. <Are you asking me to help you cheat on the test?> he asked, equal parts amused and irritated.

She sighed. <No. I'm supposed to use the Force, right? If you held up a mirror, it would be cheating. This is using the Force.>

His mask hid the grin, but she felt it anyway. <No, my apprentice. You must take the images from his mind. If you're concerned for his wellbeing, you can challenge yourself to do it _gently_. >

Rey suppresed a frown. <Yes, Master,> she said begrudgingly.

By the time the test was done, the young man's forehead was covered in sweat, and a crease had formed between his brows, but he didn't complain.

Once that was done, a report was delivered to Kylo on a datapad. He read it once they had strapped in to the shuttle that would return them to the _Finalizer_ , his mask unreadable. His emotions were a mix of pride and jealousy.

"Did I do well, Master?" she asked aloud.

"Very," he said shortly. <You blew my scores out of atmo,> he added sourly.

She tried not to laugh, and mostly succeeded. Kylo seemed to be staring at one point of data, and she itched to look at the results as well.

<What is it?> she asked.

<Your DNA profile. You match 13 alleles to another person tested at this facility,> he explained.

_Crap_. Rey realized that Ben must have hid knowledge of Rey's mother behind the wall, because it had originally been given to her by Anakin.  <The vision I had in the pod,> she scrambled for a truthful answer, <There was a little girl who looked like me, and seemed familiar.>

<I'll get you the files on her,> he promised.

Rey blinked. She hadn't expected such kindness from Kylo. <Thank you, Master. That means a great deal to me.>

Kylo reached out across the aisle and touched her knee. <You've earned a reward,> he told her, his thoughts full of pride.

The moment was interrupted by the chirp of Kylo's comm. "Yes?" he growled in response.

"Supreme Leader Snoke requires your presence before we go to hyperspace," the voice of General Hux annoounced. "He wants to speak to the girl."

Rage and fear filled the shuttle. "I will report directly when we're aboard," he said tersely.

"Very good." Hux replied, and cut the link.

The remainder of the shuttle ride was quiet and tense. The pilot took them to a landing bay close to the audience chamber, so they didn't have to walk nearly as far this time. Rey's head was left uncovered, buy Kylo directed her to kneel as the projectors started up.

Rey did so hastily, her legs already tired from the testing that morning anyway.

Once his blue-lit figure resolved, Kylo also dropped to one knee, bowing his head. "What is thy bidding, my Master?" he asked.

"The girl has passed the tests?" Snoke asked.

"Yes, she performed admirably in every field," Kylo bragged.

"Very good." He leaned back in his throne, considering Rey carefully.

She found it very hard to meet his gaze. She realized that her answer to the question he asked her the last time, about who her parents were, was now different. She hoped he didn't ask about it again.

"Girl, what is it that you desire?" he asked bluntly instead.

Rey balked. It was quite possibly the last thing she had expected him to ask. She glanced to Kylo, who nodded his encouragement. "I... I would like to continue the training that Kylo Ren has begun with me," she said honestly.

"Excellent." Snoke leaned back in his throne. "To that end, would you agree to become my apprentice?"

The floor seemed to drop out from underneath of her. How she answered here was very important. If she were to agree to his offer as it stood, she would be Kylo's equal, his competition, and quite possibly his replacement. It broke the rule of two, after all. But if she revealed that she had already agreed to be Kylo's apprentice, it could get him in very big trouble as well.

In the end, she chose humility as her excuse. Bowing her head, she picked her words carefully. "You honor me, Supreme Leader, but I fear I am not worthy of such a position. Regardless of my raw talent, I have very little experience with the Force, and even less with the Dark Side. But perhaps if I were to train under Kylo, he could teach me..." she suggested mildly.

Snoke narrowed his eyes, peering down at her. She could feel his mind probing at hers. "Do you love him?" he asked, with his typical bluntness.

Rey froze. "I do not love Kylo Ren," she said, strictly honest, "But I do desire to please him."

A modicum of Kylo's control slipped, and she felt a rush of his lust for her. The Darkness threaded through it, tainting and strengthening it.

"I see." The Supreme Leader studied them both for a moment, weighing his options. She didn't doubt that he sought to find a way to turn this against them.

At last, he waved a hand dismissively. "Very well," he said, somewhat disgruntled. "You may take the girl as your apprentice, Kylo."

"Thank you, my Master," he bowed deeply, relief evident.

"Don't think this is a reward for your failures," Snoke said harshly. "You will be solely responsible for her training, including the less savory parts."

Kylo straightened, but didn't seem rattled by this. "I understand completely, Master."

"Bring her to me, then, and we shall begin," he ordered, and the hologram faded away.

Both of them seemed to teeter a bit, shaken. Kylo got up first, and held out a hand. "Rise, apprentice," he told her.

She slid her hand into his gloved one, and stood. "My Master," she answered, the title coming easily. Suddenly, it didn't feel so much like a sham. It felt real, and that frightened her almost as much as it excited her.

Kylo pulled her out of the audience chamber, and along the twisting corridors of the Finalizer. She struggled to keep up in her exhaustion, and eventually he flagged down a transport hovercraft, ordering the driver to take them to his quarters. there were supplies in the transport, but the driver didn't hesitate to obey, clearly intimidated.

As soon as they reached his door, Kylo jumped out, and had the door open before Rey had even stepped out of the transport. Why was he so impatient? She found out the moment the door was closed, when he tore off his helmet, dropped it on the floor and slammed her against the wall. For a split second she thought he was angry, and then his mouth crashed against hers, painful and demanding.

Reaching out, Rey felt for him through their bond, and he let her into his thoughts without hesitation. They weren't quite verbal, but ran something along the lines of _mine, mine, mine, mine, she's FINALLY mine..._ She couldn't help but smile against the onslaught of his kisses, infected by his dark joy.

But soon, kissing wasn't enough. Growling with impatience, he grabbed her ass and lifted, forcing her to wrap her legs around his waist to keep from falling as he pulled away from the wall. He walked the few steps over to his bed and then fell onto it.

<Wait,> she thought frantically. <What if they fixed the camera?>

<I'm sure they did,> Kylo agreed. <But you're _mine_ now, and I can do anything I want to you. >

Rey shivered at that, remembering some of the things Ben had confessed fell into that category. He seemed to catch a hint of her fear, and pulled back to smile down at her. "Oh, yes, my little apprentice. I have many, many plans for you," he growled. Glancing down at her body, he scowled at the grey shift she wore. "First thing tomorrow I'm ordering you some better clothes," he promised. He fished a knife out of his pocket, and opened it up. "Now hold still."

She froze. <And what am I supposed to wear until then?> she complained as he put the tip of the knife against the collar.

<Absolutely nothing,> he replied. With a surgical droid's precision, he drew the knife down her sternum, slicing the fabric open but only barely grazing her skin. Rey held her breath, too frightened to move. The dress sighed open, and the elastic binder snapped free, revealing her breasts. Kylo paused in his progress to turn the knife over and scrape the unsharpened side of the blade over one of her nipples.

Drawing in a sharp breath, Rey arched her back. The cold of the blade made her nipple tighten immediately, and then he flicked the tip against it, making her cry out in pain. Before she could look to see if he'd drawn blood, he bent to draw the abused bud into his mouth, laving his tongue against it. Rey moaned, and buried her hands in his hair, but he pulled away.

"No," he said firmly. "Put your hands over your head."

Blinking rapidly, Rey complied.

"Good. Now keep them there, no matter what," he ordered. "Do you understand?"

She nodded.

He raised his eyebrows, clearly expecting something else.

"Yes, Master," she murmured.

Kylo smiled, and then went back to work. Reaching down, he slid the knife up under the hem of her shift. She could feel it, so close to her skin that it raised gooseflesh in it's wake, as he drew it up to where he'd already cut. Then he turned the blade upwards, and in one swift pull cut the shift open. That accomplished, he went do do the same with the short sleeves.

"Wait," Rey squirmed away as the knife approached her armpit.

Kylo drew in a sharp breath. "You'd better have a good reason for not holding still," he ground out.

"I... I can't," she swallowed. "I'm ticklish," she whispered.

The scowl faded from his face, replaced with wicked delight. Setting the knife aside, he pulled off one glove, and then ran a fingernail along the soft skin on the side of her breast on upward. Rey held still as long as she could, and then tried to jerk away with a small squeak.

"That's adorable," he drawled, making her blush. "But a little innocent for my taste. I'm sure I'll think of something, though. For now..." he reached down and took hold of the fabric of the sleeve with both hands and yanked, ripping it apart. He did the same thing on the other side, and then picked up the knife again. He trailed the tip of it along the underside of one breast, and then down the midline of her stomach.

"Not ticklish here, I trust?" he asked when the blade met the waistband of her underwear.

She shook her head rapidly, and then remembered. "No, Master," she said out loud.

The knife was so sharp that it took almost no pressure to split the fabric of the waistband. He drew one line down to her left thigh, and then another to her right, freeing her legs as well. He then used the tip of the knife to draw the remaining fabric down, revealing the thatch of brown curls.

Rey closed her eyes, strung to tightly to watch what came next. To her surprise, he leaned up and kissed her lips. When he pulled away again, she looked up to him.

"Such trust," he said softly. "And such obedience. You haven't moved your hands at all. Here," he placed the handle of the knife into one of her hands. "Hold on to this for me."

Rey was immediatly, vicerally reminded of the first time he had invaded her dreams. He meant this as a reminder, as if to stay they were starting over anew. But it was also an enormous gesture of trust. She could, at any time, stab him. He knew she was capable enough to kill him with one blow.

It also made her complicit in anything he chose to do to her. The twisted logic of it made her head spin. She closed her fingers around the handle. "Yes, Master," she said, although her voice shook.

Leaning down, Kylo kissed the side of one breast, and then grazed his teeth along her skin, not quite biting. He moved his head, and latched on to her nipple, sucking so hard she thought the skin would bruise. Her hips jerked up against him, and small sounds escaped from her throat.

One hand, the one that was still gloved, slid down the plane of her stomach, and then delved between her legs. She spread them willingly, and he murmured his approval against her skin. The feel of leather against her most sensitive skin was exquisite, and she quickly felt herself grow wet. He dipped his fingers lower, spreading the slick juices around her folds, making her moan.

When he pushed a finger into her, the moan turned into a gasp. The sensation of the leather, the friction from the seams, was completely unfamiliar. He moved the finger in and out a few times, and then added a second.

She wasn't ready for that much, and the invasion made her hands clench, her free one grabbing on to the pillow. Rey squeezed her eyes shut and struggled to relax, to accomidate his fingers. Before long, they moved with ease within her, and he increased the rhythm, stroking her clit with his thumb.

Rey cursed under her breath. At this rate, she wasn't going to last long. She could feel herself spiraling upward, even when Kylo pulled back from teasing her breasts in favor of watching her face.

Just when she was on the edge of the precipice, Kylo suddenly froze. Rey whimpered and moved her hips, trying to take her pleasure, but he moved his hand with her so that she couldn't get any friction.

"Time for your first lesson, apprentice," Kylo murmured, his voice thick with lust.

Rey opened her eyes, and glared up at him, feeling the orgasm escape her grasp.

"This," he curled his fingers inside of her, stroking some unseen spot, and suddenly she was on the edge again, "is mine. You only get to come if I say so."

A small keening sound escaped her lips as she lost it once more.

"And I'll only let you if I think you've earned it. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master." This time, she didn't even have to think about it.

"Good. On your hands and knees, then," he pulled his hand from her, leaving her feeling empty and unfulfilled.

Rey turned over, rising up on all fours. She stayed that way, waiting, as he stood to undress fully. He drew a finger along her spine, making her shiver, before kneeling behind her. Kylo had barely pressed the tip of his cock inside her when she tilted her hips back, taking all of him in one stroke.

He hissed something - a blessing or a curse, she wasn't sure - and then slapped her ass hard.

"I distinctly remember telling you to hold still," he ground out.

"Sorry, Master," she said quickly. She wasn't, and he knew it.

The pace he chose was pure torture - so slow she could barely feel him moving inside her. Still, he built her up slowly, until she felt her release within her grasp once more. And then he stopped.

Rey dropped her forehead to the bed, tears pricking her eyes. She was exhausted from the tests, the nightmare, and the audience with Snoke. She didn't have enough left in her to play Kylo's games. She sobbed softly.

"Such a quick learner," he said appreciatively, and began to move once more.

The third time he stilled within her, she couldn't stand it any longer. "Please Master," she begged.

He slid a hand up her back, burying his fingers in her hair and pulling back. "Please what?" he asked.

Rey didn't even bother with the pretense of dignity. "Please let me come," she replied.

"Do you think you've earned it?" he asked.

Rey considered the loaded question. If she said yes, and he didn't agree, she'd be in trouble. If she said no, he'd agree. Still, considering what she'd been through in the last two cycles? "Yes, Master." She held her breath, waiting for his response.

"Give me the knife," he said.

Rey's mouth went dry, but she did as she was told. To her relief, he put it on a ledge beside the bed.

"Lucky for you, I agree. I'm going to let you come, sweetheart, but you have to wait until I say so. But you can move. You're going to want to brace yourself," he warned.

Rey had just enough time to put her hands against the wall before he started slamming into her. He pressed so deeply into her that it hurt, but it felt so good at the same time. "Oh yes, please, yes," she hissed.

His grip on her hips tightened, yanking her against him with every thrust. The sound of their skin slapping together filled the small room, and she felt a flush of humiliation as she remembered that everything they said and did was being recorded.

Eventually, the pleasure overcame the pain, and she felt the end sneaking up on her. She tried to push it away, to delay it, but after she'd been denied it was hard to control.

"Please Master," she whispered. "I can't... I can't hold on much longer."

"Wait," he commanded through clenched teeth.

Rey held herself rigid, and opened herself wider to the bond between them, deliberately channelling everything she felt directly into his mind.

Kylo gasped, and his rhythm turned erratic. "Yes," he almost shouted. "Now, Rey!"

Rey wasn't sure if she voluntarily complied, or if that was just the last possible moment she could have held out. Pleasure exploded within her, white-hot as a new star. At the same time, Kylo spilled into her, the warmth of his seed filling her past the brim and dripping down her legs as he continued to pound into her. The bond between them thrummed like a plucked string, sharper and darker than it had before.

They collapsed to the bed, and Kylo slipped out of her. Before he could even respond, she had turned over and kissed him hungrily, throwing one leg over his hip and grinding against him as she rode out the last of the aftershocks.

Kylo moaned against her lips, pressing a hand against the small of her back. When she pulled away at last, he simply watched her, eyes hooded, as she struggled to catch her breath.

"Thank you, Master," she said, gasping.

He smiled lazily and kissed her temple. Then he shifted, and left the bed, going straight for the 'fresher. After a moment, she could hear water running.

Sighing, Rey turned on to her side and curled up. Out the window, she could see the swirl of hyperspace - she hadn't even noticed when they jumped to lightspeed. She'd have to figure out a way to get the hyperdrive calculations to the Resistance before they made it to the entry point.

But her eyes wouldn't stay open, and her limbs were too weak to move. Eventually, she gave in, and fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I got done with writing what I had planned for this chapter, and it was only about 1100 words long. I like to keep the chapters between 2-4k, so I was sitting there trying to think what to do for the rest of the chapter. Suddenly the Kylo part of my brain goes "I have a great idea!" and that's the story of why I had to add new tags.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. NaNoWriMo was kind of a bust (34k words, which is something, but far short of the 50k goal). Episode VIII comes out in a little over a week, and based on the lack of comments on the last few chapters I'm guessing that like me, you're a little too wrapped up in wondering what the new movie will be like to worry about this little experiment.
> 
> No biggies, I'm just going to post the snippets I had written for future parts of the story and call it good.
> 
> Not sure if I'll write any fanfic for episode VIII, as starting Jan 1 the plan is to start writing the sequel to my published novel, "Vampire, Hunter." If VIII is half as good as VII, I probably won't be able to help myself lol. But if you're dying to read more of my writing, and you like dark, evil guys being called out on their bullshit by the smart, tough girls who the love (read: are unhealthily obsessed with) then you can find the eBook for "Vampire, Hunter" just about everywhere and the print book at booksamillion.com. Same name, Maria Arnt and I suggest searching by that as the unique spelling cuts down on results.

The moment Kylo walked into her cell, Rey knew something was wrong. There was no scowl on his face, in fact it was schooled perfectly blank. His presence in the Force was locked tight, too, she could barely feel an echo of unease through their conection. This was far more alarming than any temper tantrum could ever be. She only caught a glance before she dropped to her knees before him, but it was enough.

He stood there for a very long moment, staring down at her. His breathing was even, but exaggerated, as if he were focusing on it. "Rise," he said, his voice raw.

<What happened?> she asked silently as she got to her feet, knowing that such impertinence would never be tolerated aloud.

"Supreme Leader Snoke is concerned that you may be forming an emotional attachment to me," he said bluntly. A tangle of emotions leaked out through their link: fear, rage, and inexplicably jealousy.

Rey just shrugged. "You're my Master. I owe my life to you," she recited. What had Snoke suggested as a solution to this problem? Would they have to fight each other?

Kylo ground his teeth for a moment. "Yes, but in your work for the Supreme Leader you may be called to serve _other_ masters," he explained.

Oh no. Not that. He couldn't split them up, couldn't make her serve someone else, she wouldn't stand for it--

He held up a hand, as if to forestall her argument. "You will still be my apprentice," he said soothingly, and his outstretched hand came to trace the line of her jaw. "But the Supreme Leader believes it would benefit your training if you..." Here, he choked. "If you were to serve under another, for a short time."

"How short?" Rey asked, wary. It didn't sound so bad, what he was suggesting.

"A few hours. A night at most," he bit out.

Suddenly Rey connected the dots. The concern about emotional attachment, Kylo's jealousy, one _night _.__

____

"Who?" she croaked.

"General Armitage Hux," Kylo cut each word from the air, and turned away from her, his rage flaring in the small space of her cell.

With a sinking feeling, Rey realized this particular order had almost nothing to do with her at all. The lesson here was for Kylo, not Rey. He would have to share his toys, and with the man he most despised in the First Order. She remembered Hux from when she was first brought to the bridge of the Finalizer, the arrogant swagger of a bully who had caught his rival in what he thought--correctly--was a huge blunder. The way he'd turned red, and then nearly fuschia, as Kylo spun his fabrication of bringing Rey to the Dark Side.

Oh yes, this was meant to hurt Kylo, no question about it.

If there was any lesson for her at all it was that she was nothing, less than nothing, a pawn to be passed from hand to hand as Snoke's favor shifted. It was not a reassuring thought.

"The Finalizer is scheduled to arrive in six hours. I suggest you spend your time waiting in meditation." And with that, Kylo stormed out.

Rey sank onto her cot and reached for the bond between them. <You know he's just doing this to piss you off,> she tried to send a soothing sense of reassurance toward him.

<I KNOW why he's doing it! And I still fucking hate it!> His thoughts were rough and red as torn knuckles, and she drew in a deep breath in reaction.

<It won't mean anything to me, Kylo. It's just another kind of torture,> she argued.

Strangely, this seemed to calm him a little. <I know that,> he agreed, defeated. <I'm more worried that he'll... damage you.>

<I'll heal. I always do.> She tried to project more confidence than she felt.

His wordless reply was a wash of affection and possessive desire, and she relished it long after he had drifted away.

* * *

Kylo strode down the corridor of the Finalizer's Detention Center with his typical angry, ground-eating stride. Rey struggled to keep up and retain the collected, dignified image of a Sith.

<Why do you have to walk so fast?> she complained, irritated that he seemed to be rushing her.

<I just want to get this over with,> he shot back.

Glaring at the back of his helmet, Rey balked at his selfishness. _He_ wanted to get it over with? Like _he_ was the one who was about to be... to be.... Rey swallowed and tried not to focus on what was about to happen to her.

Punching the controls to open a door, he gestured to the spare interior. "In here." <I won't be far,> he added silently. His mental voice was apologetic, and she wondered how much of her anger and fear had filtered through to him.

Inside, Rey found a black metal table, two stiff-backed chairs, and a large mirror that was set into the wall. Rey had seen such rooms at the Resistance base on D'Qar, knew they were used for interrogating prisoners. After her last experience with First Order interrogation, it seemed downright welcoming. At least until the door slammed shut and whirred as the lock engaged.

She sat, choosing to face the mirror. Rey knew it concealed another room, and wondered who was going to be observing this meeting. Sensing that she would be made to wait some time, she settled into a meditation, soothing her frayed nerves.

It was nearly an hour later when she opened her eyes to the sound of the door unlocking. In a way she appreciated the delay, it gave her a chance to collect herself. She felt calm now. She would live through this, and it would pass. Just like everything else.

When the General walked through the door, he barely glanced up at her before tossing a datapad onto the table. Sitting on the other chair, he fished a small item from inside the breast of his military coat. It was a few inches long, and a dull orange. He paid no attention to Rey at all, but sat back and read through whatever was on the datapad. With his free hand, he twirled the orange stick through his fingers.

Rey was reminded of a pilot on Jakku who had done the same thing, running a short colorful stick over his knuckles and then around his thumb. She'd tried to learn it from him, but it was harder than it looked. Hux was doing it with his gloves still on.

"Hm." Hux seemed to have found something of interest in his datapad, and the twirling stopped. Slowly, he lifted his eyes to Rey's face, brought the orange stick to his mouth, and pulled deeply. It lit up as he dragged on it, and her suspicions were confirmed. He held his breath and her gaze for an interminable moment, and then he exhaled in a rush of vapor.

"Those things will kill you, you know," she said flippantly.

To her surprise, he smiled. "I suppose that's why they're called Death Stix," he mused. His voice was a smooth tenor, the cultured Imperial accent offset by his wry tone. He continued to study her in his unsettling, direct way, and took another deep pull from the stick. The smoke hung between them for a moment, faintly spicy. Rey knew just enough about such things to recognize it was high-quality product.

"Want to try?" He held out the stick towards her.

"No, thank you." She bit off.

"Oh, come now." He stood, trailing one hand along the table as he came to stand on the same side as her. "You seem the type to enjoy all sorts of vices," he murmured, his frank appraisal taking in the scant fabric of her training outfit, which was little more than bindings for her chest and arms and a short slit skirt, all underneath a black gauze wrap that was an obvious mockery of the one she'd worn on Jakku.

"I'll pass," she said, remaining casual, looking past the stick held in front of her face.

Hux leaned down, his lips close to her ear, and brought the stick closer. "Open your mouth," he said quietly, but there was no mistaking that this was an order.

Fighting the urge to clench her teeth, Rey parted her lips enough to let him push the stick between them.

"Now take a very deep breath, slowly," he instructed.

Rey did as she was told, pulling her breath in through the little device as it lit up. Almost immediately her chest felt itchy and she had to fight the urge to cough, but she powered through it. But the moment her lungs were full, Hux's free hand clamped firmly around her throat, cutting off her exhale.

"The trick is to hold it as long as you can," he explained, drawing the stick away from her mouth.

One heartbeat, two, three. Her lungs felt like they were full of fire, and Rey thought she might pass out. And then he released her, stepping back as she coughed out a plume of smoke. She scowled him, but the moment she drew breath to give him a piece of her mind, a rush of tingling warmth spread through her body and straight down between her legs. She grabbed the edge of the table, and fought to suppress a moan.

Hux chuckled, and took another drag himself, considering the stick in his hand in the pause before his exhale. "Delightful, yes?"

Rey smothered a cough and continued to stare at him. He shrugged, and stowed the Death Stick back in his jacket. He stood beside her, hands clasped behind his back, and held her gaze unflinchingly.

"Stand up," he said at last.

She did so, as casually as possible. He took the empty chair and moved it to the corrner of the room. When he came back, he stood before her a moment, as if considering where to start unwrapping a present. And when his hesitation was over, that was exactly what he did, reaching down to unclasp her belt with deft, unhurried fingers. He set the belt on the table beside her, and then moved behind her to draw the wrap off her shoulders, putting that on the table as well. Next he unwrapped the cloth on her arms, and then from around her chest.

By this point she was already shivering, and not just from the cold. There was something so unsettling about his touch: precise and unhurried, but demanding. When the bindings were laid on the table, she glanced around for something, anything else to look at, but eventually her eyes landed on his reflection, considering her bared skin in the one-way mirror.

One gloved finger brushed over the brand slowly, and he made a small hum of interest. With a jolt, she realized that a description of it must have been given to him, there was no surprise in his expression, only curiosity.

"We never really escape our fate, do we?" He murmured, more to himself than anything, and then made short work of her skirt and underwear. He considered her thigh-high boots a moment, trailing one finger along the top of one, but then seemed to decide they were better left on. That accomplished, he stepped away, to get a better look at her it seemed.

"Well, you're not really my type," he sighed theatrically.

She suppressed the urge to snort. She knew his type, could remember Ullyt with stunning clarity. "Really?" She said loftily. "Young, short, dark hair, vulnerable. Sounds like your type to me." Rey altered her posture, ducking her head, hunching her shoulders and clutching one arm in a passible imitation of insecurity.

A look of surprised outrage flickered over Hux's expression, but he suppressed it quickly. He regarded her more warily for a moment, seeming to recall what she was. "Take your hair down," he commanded, wresting back control of the situation.

Rey did so, undoing the three loops and shaking out the the resulting waves. In the mirror she could see that she really wasn't that far off from Ullyt.

Hux tapped a finger against his lips for a moment and then shrugged. "You'll do, I suppose. Lean over the table."

 _Here?_ Rey obeyed automatically, the shock of the cold metal against her bare skin barely registering. She had thought that this was just an initial meeting, not....  <Ben?> she flailed, reaching for their connection.

<It's okay, I'm here> came the instant, soothing response. He didn't even seem to notice her slip. <Just hold on, Rey. It'll be over soon.>

Hux took hold of her hands and moved them to an exact position on the table, then pressed a button on his datapad. Restraints rose from the table and locked around her wrists.

A random thought fluttered through her mind, and she blurted it out without thinking."I thought rape was against First Order interrogation procedures."

Hux raised his eyebrows, and unbuttoned his jacket, slipping it off and folding it over the back of his chair. "That's true, although I'm surprised you're familiar with such regulations." He pushed the sleeves of his tight-fitting black shirt up to his elbows. "However..." he walked slowly around the table,  removing one glove so he could trail one finger down the length of her spine. Leaning forward, he spoke close to her ear. "...you are not being interrogated."

His hand drifted lower, and she wasn't able to suppress a flinch as he drew a finger along her folds. Then he began to demonstrate his dexterity again, in ways that made her clench her fists with the effort to control her breathing.

General Hux, she discovered, was a patient man. He was not remotely rushed, his fingers continuing their ministrations long after her traitorous body had coated his hand with her arousal.

"If you wanted to get me off," she gasped, "you should have left the glove on."

To her surprise, he smiled. "I wondered what all the leather and masks was about," he glanced at the mirror, but didn't meet her gaze in the reflection. He stared past her, that same gloating grin on his face, and she was unable to suppress a whimper as she climaxed.

A burst of rage and jealousy thrummed along her connection to Kylo, and suddenly she understood. _Kylo_ was behind the mirror, was being forced to watch. Kriff, how sick could Snoke be? Or was this Hux's idea?

<Kylo...> she tried to reach for him.

What she got back was barely intelligible. <minemineminemineMINEhowDAREhehowCOULDshe>

Rey closed her eyes and tried to find her calm, still center. If she didn't do something soon, Kylo was going to come crashing through the one-way mirror and murder Hux right here and now.

<Kylo, please> she let a little despiration slip into her mental voice. <Help me. Help me get through this, please. Help me... pretend it's you.>

 _That_ got his attention. The jealous mantra stopped cold, as he struggled to process her request.  <How?> he asked at last.

<Picture it.> She gasped as she felt the warm weight of Hux's erection pressed against her slick folds. She hadn't even noticed him pulling it out of his pants. <Imagine it's you instead.>

With agonizing slowness, Hux pressed himself deep into her. For once he seemed fully intent on what he was doing, eyes closed and lips slightly parted. Thank the stars he wasn't staring into the mirror, or she doubted this would work. With profound relief, Rey realized that Hux was smaller than Kylo--which wasn't saying much--and she had no trouble stretching to accomidate him. Her reassurance was short-lived, though, as when he started moving it was obvious he knew what he was doing. He pressed one hand into the small of her back, tilting her hips until he was brushing up against a spot that sent fire racing up her spine.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she pressed her forehead against the cold metal of the table.

<Let me see your face,> Kylo begged immediately.

"Don't hide from me, now," Hux said at almost the same moment.

Trembling, Rey lifted her head once more. When she looked in the mirror, she forced herself to see Kylo instead of Hux, and sent the image through their bond.

<Yes...> Kylo hissed.

A spike of lust passed between them, and she latched on to it with everything she had, a moan escaping her lips.

"You like that?" Hux asked breathlessly, and increased his tempo, pushing her harder.

 _Of course he likes to talk,_ Rey ground her teeth together. If he would just shut up, she might be able to make this work.

<Rey... I want to hear you, Rey,> Kylo whispered in her mind.

"Yes," she nearly sobbed. It was becoming too difficult to stay silent, anyway, as Hux seemed more intent on getting a reaction out of her than his own pleasure, for the time being.

His fingertips flexed into her hips; he hadn't been expecting a response. "Oh, you are a treat. I begin to see why Ren keeps you around." He glanced up at the mirror, grinning once more.

Rey groaned, but was utterly surprised by Kylo's response.

<That's right, you bastard. She's _mine_. >

Something shifted, some unseen wave of Darkness passed between the three of them, consuming the rage and pain and jealousy, and left only an all-consuming lust in its wake.

Hux let out a low, humming moan, the first indication that he was enjoying himself.

"Oh, fuck yes," Rey hissed as he slid his hand up her back, pressing her down hard on the table. He continued to thrust harder, faster, and she bit her lip at the intensity of it, whimpering but not in pain.

<Yes, harder,> Kylo agreed silently.

"Please," Rey begged, the way she knew Kylo liked. "Please, Hux..."

Suddenly he pulled away, and then she was roughly flipped over on her back, her hands crossed above her head still trapped in the restraints. When she lifted her head, he slapped her hard, with the gloved hand.

"You forget your place, whore," he spat.

She let her head fall back to the table to hide her surprise at how much of a reaction that had caused. "What should I call you, then?" She asked as he drew his hands up the backs of her legs, bringing them up until her boots bracketed his face. "G-general?" Her voice hitched as he entered her once more, forcefully.

"Hmm, no..." he seemed to consider it as he pressed into her. Without the mirror, she had no choice but to focus on the man in front of her. Strangely, she sensed that Kylo remained intensely focused, but not angry.

The change in position was doing incredible things to her, and she'd almost lost the conversation when he spoke again.

"Call me your Master," Hux ordered, his voice low and dangerous.

Rey's eyes shot open wide, and she smiled. She understood, now. Hux's hatred of Kylo was driven by pure jealousy, of his powers, of Snoke's favoritism, and, it would seem, of her. He wanted to pretend to be Kylo just as Kylo was pretending to be him. "No." She relished the act of defiance.

He dug his thumbs into the sensitive spot behind her knees, and she arched her back and writhed, but compared to the torture she had undergone at Kylo's hand, this was nothing.

"Say it," he insisted.

"You have to earn that," she gasped, "Hux."

She had expected him to fall for the goad, to give in to his anger and take it out on her. But he wasn't Kylo, after all. He spread her legs wide and leaned forward, pressing himself against her until his lips were less than an inch from hers.

"And how would I accomplish that?" He murmured, eyes locked on her mouth. He smelled like Spice and pine resin, completely different from Kylo's earthy leather smell. He had slowed the motion of his hips to a minimal rocking, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, trying to urge him on.

It didn't work.

"What does it take to earn the allegiance of a dirty little scavenger, hm?" Hux brushed his bottom lip against hers, but then ducked his head into the crook of her neck, trailing the tip of his nose up the side of her jaw until his breath fanned against her ear. "I think I know the answer," he teased, and then dipped his tongue into the shell of her ear.

Rey shuddered, and convulsively tried to pull away.

<Yes> Kylo hissed in her mind, relishing her discomfort.

Hux's gloved hand snaked up her body to grasp one breast, the pressure of his fingers increasing until she whimpered. Her hips jerked involuntarily at the pain, and he pulled back, grinning.

"That's what I thought," he gloated, glancing up at the mirror once more.

<Ah, but can you make her sing like me?> Kylo murmured in her mind. Rey bit back a retort that he was talking to _her_ , not Hux, but strangely the message seemed to be recieved nonetheless.

Leaning forward to reach past her bound hands, Hux fished the Death Stick out of his jacket.

"Oh no," Rey moaned. She didn't like this turn of events at all.

"Want some more?" Hux asked in a concilatory tone. He took a deep drag, and blew the smoke out over her naked body.

"Please, no," she trembled, her eyes fixed on the tip of the stick, of the intense orange glow that lit up when he pulled on it. By the time he trailed it against the skin between her breasts, it had already cooled. But only just.

"Well, you know the magic word," he teased. "Say it."

Rey froze, and reached out to Kylo. <Master, what should I do?> Her whole body shook with fear.

Hux placed the tip of the stick firmly against the scar burned into her already, and slowly began to lower his head.

<Say it,> Kylo said after a moment, his voice calm and pleased. <Say it to me.>

"Master!" she gasped. 

Hux's head jerked up, surprised. It was obvious he hadn't expected her to give in so easily. His gaze flicked to the mirror, but eventually he smiled. "Master, what?" He purred.

"Please give me more, Master," she whispered, almost shyly. "Fuck me harder."

Hux drew in one long, shuddering breath, and then his lips crashed against hers, his tongue plunging deep into her mouth. He thrust his hips against hers in a brutal, ragged rhythm, and she arched up into him. The onslaught was nearly overwhelming, and she felt her body spiralling quickly upward.

<Kylo, I think I'm going to come,> she admitted, ashamed.

<Wait,> he ordered, no trace of anger or disappointment in his voice. <Ask for it first.> There was an unmistakeable smile in his voice.

Rey felt her cheeks flush with heat as she realized _Kylo was enjoying this_. And, Force help her, so was she. "Master..." she begged prettily. "Please, can I come Master?"

A slow grin spread across Hux's features. "Yes. Do it now."

Her body responded before her mind could even process the order, her back arching hard, her legs clenching around his waist so tight it hurt. She cried out wordlessly, and Hux cussed at the sight before him. Reaching up, he pulled his shirt off roughly, leaving his hair dishevelled. A flush of red had spread across his chest, and was working its way up his neck.

"I want to touch you, Master," Rey moaned, the moment she could speak again.

Lost to his pleasure as he was, Hux was no fool. "No," he answered.

But at the same moment, Kylo whispered <Yes!> and the restraints around her wrists sprang open. Hux's eyes went wide, and Rey didn't need the mirror to know what he saw as she grinned and sat up, could feel the burn of her eyes glowing gold as she dug her nails into his chest and dragged them down, scoring the flushed skin. He hissed, inhaling through his clenched teeth, but didn't stop pounding into her. Grasping the back of his neck, she pulled herself up off the table and into his arms. He grabbed her ass obligingly, lifting her so she fell on his cock over and over.

"Yes, Master," she hissed mockingly in his ear. "Take me. Do it now." She extended the briefest effort in the Force, pushing him over the edge.

Hux shouted in surprise, spilling into her with three quick thrusts. He clutched her tightly for a moment, and then collapsed against the table, gasping for breath. Shaking, he pulled away from her, unable to hide the fear in his eyes.

He dressed quickly, paying no real attention to his appearance. Grabbing his jacket, he waited impatiently for the door lock to unwind, and then lurched forward to exit, only to find Kylo standing in the way, implacable in his mask.

"General," he said lightly. "You almost forgot something." Reaching out with the Force, Kylo lifted the Death Stick from the table, brought it to his hand, and then held it out to Hux. "You look like you could use a smoke."

Hux snatched the stick from Kylo's hand, and brushed roughly past him.

Ignoring him, Kylo strode into the room and waited for the door to close before he removed his helmet. "Are you alright?" he asked, struggling to keep his voice emotionless.

Rey fiddled with the glove that Hux had also forgotten. "I'm not hurt," she answered truthfully. How to explain that she was more disturbed by how she'd given in to the Dark than anything Hux had tried to do to her? "Did I displease you in any way?"

Kylo came to stand in front of where she sat on the table, still naked. She could tell from his expression that he was tempted to pick up where Hux had left off. She couldn't say she would mind, but that would defeat the purpose of this "lesson" which had backfired so spectacularly.

Instead, her Master buried his hands in her loose hair. "You were perfect," he murmured. 

* * *

* * *

* * *

Rey felt a drop of sweat travel down the back of her neck. She pushed the irritation down, fed it to the Dark, and swung her blade all the harder. Kylo met the attack with his own lightsaber, stepping forward to press into a clash. Their blades screeched in protest, but Rey refused to give ground, reaching into the Force to push back against his greater strength and mass.

"Good," he murmured through clenched teeth. "You're learning well, my apprentice."

Rey couldn't help a small smile, more out of amusement than pride. He really got off on being her Master, sham though it was. For just a moment she wished she had accepted his offer the first time they stood like this, clenched in battle. If he had truly been her teacher, had exercised that power over her....

And then his comm beeped, breaking the moment. Kylo backed off, and they both extinguished their lightsabers. He turned away from her to answer the call.

"What?" He growled into the device on his wrist.

"There will be a tactical meeting at 1400," General Hux's arrogant voice answered back. "The intel may be of some interest to you."

"I'll be there," Kylo said shortly, and ended the call. With a disgusted sound, he sat on the bench.

<What was that all about?> Rey asked, pretending to be absorbed in rehydrating herself.

<Hux spends half his day in meetings, and thinks I should have to, as well. He invites me to preserve the illusion that he's involving me in First Order decisions, but really he's just jerking my chain. They're even more boring than the lectures Unc---> he cut off the thought ruthlessly.

Rey sat on the bench next to him and considered. <I bet I could make it interesting...> "Will I be attending?"

Kylo sat up, considering. He'd sought their connection for a distraction during Hux's meetings before, but to have her actually there.... She gave him a mischevious grin.

"You could only observe, you don't rank high enough to have a say. But it may be beneficial to your training to see how the First Order operates at this level," he agreed slowly.

"I won't say a word," she promised. Inwardly, she cackled with glee. _Time for revenge._

* * *

Before they left for the tactical level, Rey added one accessory to her outfit: A single glove, on the right hand. It was a little too big for her, but it gave her a rakishly assymetrical look. She liked it.

When they were ushered into the conference room, General Hux was already there. He raised his eyebrows at her arrival. "This is a classified meeting, Ren," he said with false dismay. "Your apprentice has not been cleared--"

"My apprentice has the same authority I do, when I am present. She is an extension of my will," Kylo argued.

Hux glanced at the other officers, weighing his options. Apparently, it wasn't worth it to cause a scene. He waved a hand to an aide, who brought another chair to the table. Stepping towards them, Hux handed her a datapad that showed a dossier for the meeting.

"Thank you," she murmured, the perfect picture of submission, and took it in her right hand.

He froze the moment he saw her glove. His own gloves were so new that they creaked as he clenched his hands into fists. One ginger eyebrow twitched, and he glanced back up at her, murder in his eyes.

<Is he always this terrible at concealing his emotions?> Rey asked.

<Yes. But don't push too hard, my pet. We can't risk disrupting the meeting> Kylo cautioned, obviously just as amused. Not that he was any better at schooling his features, but he had the mask to hide behind.

<This is going to be fun,> she hid a smile as she took her seat.

The meeting itself was exactly as boring as Kylo had predicted. It was difficult for Rey to stay focused on the minutae discussed: supply routes, troop statistics, updates on bases currently under construction. If she had any Resistance contacts, it would have been incredibly useful intel, but cut off as she was it was useless to her.

Still, she managed to feign interest, leaning forward to peer at the dossier on the smooth black table. Her cleavage was doubtless reflected in its depths, and while Hux wasn't looking her way when she glanced up, there was a muscle twitching in his jaw.

She leaned back in her seat, crossing her left arm under her breasts and propping her right elbow on her wrist. Pensively, she rubbed a gloved thumb over her lower lip, frowning as if in deep concentration on what was being said. Now she could feel Hux's eyes on her, and she casually leaned her head to the side, pretending to scratch an itch just below her ear before trailing a finger back along the line of her jaw. When the finger met her lips, she bit the tip of it absently. Then, slowly, she lifted her gaze to catch Hux staring.

The General pressed his lips together and the barest hint of a flush showed at the tight collar of his uniform.

Beside her, Kylo tore his attention away from the riviting description of the fortifications being installed on an existing Imperial outpost, and turned his head slightly so he could see her through his mask's limited peripheral vision. A tendril of curiosity extended along their bond, and he glanced back to Hux's barely concealed agitation.

<Wait, is that _his_ glove? > he asked suddenly.

<Of course.> She let her hand drop into her lap, out of Hux's view, and stretched luxuriously, which pushed her breasts together enticingly.

Beside her, she could feel Kylo tremble, and it took her a moment to realize that it was with barely-suppressed laughter.

After that, she didn't need to do anything overtly provocative. His attention was caught, and she held onto it with both hands. He grew more agitated as the meeting dragged on. Hilariously, the other First Order officers seemed to sense his unease, and misinterpreted it as displeasure. Their fear and axiety ratcheted ever higher, and Rey drank it in.

The moment the last report was finished, Hux barked a dismissal, and everyone at the table scrambled to leave. Rey and Kylo took their time getting up, Rey stretching languidly once more. Hux remained seated at the table, and she highly suspected it was to hide a raging erection. Before she could turn away, Kylo spoke up.

"Did you find this meeting instructive, apprentice?" He asked formally.

She smiled like the cat in the cream. "Very."

"Then you should thank General Hux for including you," he gestured across the table.

Hux scowled.

Rey turned to face him fully, and leaned forward in a respectful bow that put all her assets on display. "Thank you General."

"You're welcome," Hux ground out between clenched teeth.

She stood up, regarding him and his reflection. "Nice table."

Kylo escorted her from the room with a hand on the small of her back, and just before the doors hissed shut, Rey grinned to hear a strangled groan behind her.

* * *

At the end of the day, Rey found herself staring out at the stars from the edge of Kylo's bed. He came out of the fresher, still steaming and rubbing a towel over his curls.

"You looked troubled, my apprentice," he said formally. <What are you thinking about?>

"I was thinking about General Hux," she admitted honestly.

That got his attention. A burst of jealousy shot through their bond, and he tossed the towel aside and started dressing for bed with rough jerky motions. "What about him?"

Rey rifled through her memories of the incident earlier in the week, and selected a moment when Kylo was hissing encouragements to the General into her mind, silently goading him on, and then fed that recollection back to him.

Kylo stumbled and groaned, clutching the nearest wall.

"He could be a very useful tool," she said aloud, to cover his reaction.

"You're playing with fire," Kylo warned darkly. Whether he meant messing with Hux or his own jealousy, she wasn't sure. Probably both.

"A Sith does not fear danger," she quoted. "She embraces it." <I want more. And you want it too, don't try to pretend you don't.>

He turned toward her slowly, and in the vulnerability of his expression, she saw Ben, not Kylo. They were supposed to keep each other from falling too far, to ride the line between Dark and Light. That was what they had promised each other. Was this pushing it too far?

"Go," he said in a strangled voice, and rattled off the location of Hux's quarters.

<And how do you know that?> she teased.

<So I could assassinate him the moment I was given the order,> he shot back. "Keep your comm open," he said out loud.

She left immediately, not trusting herself to hesitate. The bustle of the Finalizer was the same at all hours; to keep such a large ship running the crew was split into three shifts that worked four hours and then rested eight in an endless cycle. It was unnerving to her that there was no rhythm to this place beyond the changing of the guard, no dimming of the light or quieting of the halls. It was unnatural.

Still, she knew Hux and Kylo were on the same shift rotation, so now would be the General's rest period. If he wasn't in his quarters, she would wait for him there. If he was... She would think of something to talk her way into him inviting her in. As she reached the correct level, she was surprised to find a compliment of two guards outside the door. It said a lot that Hux didn't feel secure, even on his own star destroyer.

"Let me pass," she ordered, shooting for her best intimidating Sith scowl.

"The General is not accepting visitors," one of the Stormtroopers rattled off.

"He summoned me," she explained, twisting her hand slowly as she called on the Force. "You'd better let me in or the General will be angry."

The one she addressed seemed to hesitate, but the other turned to him. "You'd better let her in, or the General will be angry," he parroted dully.

That seemed to convince the other, and he turned to enter the passcode on the door.

"You never saw me," she waved as she passed into the darkened room.

"We never saw you," they agreed in unison.

Once the door had shut, leaving her in darkness, she shook her head. The First Order's brainwashing program left it's infantry regrettably susceptible to influence. She waited until her vision adjusted from the bright lights of the corridor, and then approached the only door in the sparsely decorated room. Rey extended her senses gently, and was surprised to find that Hux's presence seemed vague and dormant.

Could she really be that lucky? Manipulating the Force to hide the sound of her entry, she opened the door and slipped inside. Sure enough, there he was, stretched out on his bed, out cold. She supposed he had to sleep some time, but it seemed strange to find him so vulnerable. It would be child's play to assassinate him.

Instead, she took a moment to study his room. It was even more spartan than the living chamber she had passed through. The furnishings were all standard issue, from the crisp white sheets and black microfiber blanket on the bed, to the First Order insignia banner than hung on the wall. Everything was exactly where it belonged, nothing at all like the messy chaos of Kylo's quarters.

Everything except for one glove.

It lay on the deck beside the bed, as if dropped there by his outstretched hand. It was the left glove, the match to the one she had worn to the meeting earlier. And what had he been doing with it in bed? She felt the corner of her mouth quirk upwards.

In one fluid motion she put her hand over his mouth and straddled his hips. Hux jolted awake, one hand darting under his pillow, and only her preternatural reflexes saved her from a blaster bolt to the head. Her thumb over the safety switch, she twisted the pistol from his grip.

"Paranoid much?" she drawled, tossing the pistol away.

He shoved the hand over his mouth away. "How dare you," he seethed.

She grinned, and flexed her hips against his. "I thought you'd be happy to see me," she pretended to pout.

"The unmitigated impertinence to assume you were welcome in my bed--" he began.

"You're assuming this is the first time I've been in your bed," she interrupted.

He scowled, glancing around the room.

"Do you or do you not own a lamda-class luxury cruiser with a double-wide berth in the main suite?" she said lightly, rattling off the details as Kylo fed them to her. "Which was recalled for repairs for two weeks some six months ago?"

Hux cussed, or at least she assumed it was cussing because she didn't recognize the language he spoke. Apparently it had an extensive vocabulary on the subject. In the back of her mind, Kylo was laughing.

"You're not the only one who likes playing with someone else's toys," she teased, running a hand over his chest, tugging down the sheet to expose the pale skin, the tracks her fingernails had dragged standing out in healing white stripes.

He propped himself up on his elbows and stared at her, hunger and outrage warring openly on his features.

"Does Ren know you're here?" His voice dropped to a husky whisper.

"Hm... you'd like it if I said no, wouldn't you?" She shifted, moving the sheet out from between them and was delightfully surprise to discover he slept in the nude. "You like the idea of me coming to you for more, in secret."

Hux grabbed her wrists to stop the motion of her hands against his skin. "Do not toy with me, girl," he growled. "I could end you right now and there would be no consequences."

<He's not lying,> Kylo added silently, as if she couldn't sense it herself.

"He knows I'm here. He enjoyed your little show, by the way," she purred.

At this Hux sat up fully, glancing around the darkened room with a suspicious eye.

Rey shoved him back down onto the bed. "Wow, you really are paranoid. He's not here. Well, at least not physically."

Hux narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

She leaned forward so her face was inches from his. "He is always with me," she whispered. "In my mind. Everything you do to me, everything I feel, he feels."

His grip on her wrists tightened convulsively, and to her surprise she felt an answering twitch as his cock stirred to life.

<Ooh, he _likes_ that, > she told Kylo gleefully.

<That's... unexpected...> Kylo seemed completely taken aback.

Hux pulled her wrist up close to their faces, the blinking green light of her comm shining in the darkness.

"Well, that too," she laughed.

He pulled the device off her wrist, deactivated it, and threw it across the room. "Let's see how he feels about this then," Hux growled, and threw her onto her back. He shoved one hand up her skirt, yanking her panties down to her knees, where he didn't bother to disentangle them from her boots. Covering her body with his, he pushed her skirt out of the way and entered her in one fierce jab.

She cried out, but it wasn't in pain.

"Fuck, you are wet already," he groaned.

"I have been since the meeting," she admitted breathlessly. She fought to free her legs, but once she had he reached down and caught one, pulling it up over the crook of his elbow, and pressed into her all the deeper. "Maybe I... should come... to all your meetings," she teased haltingly.

"You. Are. Expressly. Forbidden. To. Attend. Meetings. Of. Any. Sort," he said through clenched teeth, punctuating each word with a thrust of his hips.

Rey's breath caught in her throat, and she braced her hands against the wall above her head. The pace he set was ruthless, and he didn't show any signs of slowing soon. Already her body was spiralling towards her first climax.

<Kylo...> she flailed mentally, reaching for him.

A hum of amused satisfaction thrummed across their link. <In over your head? I warned you. Keep him occupied.>

Rey didn't have time to be mystified by his comment. Her only response was a wordless cry of surprise and pleasure as she came hard and fast. Her back arched high, and Hux's hand drifted beneath it, encouraging her upwards. A half-strangled sob escaped her throat as she collapsed back to the sheets.

"Too easy," Hux sneered above her.

Now it was her turn to flip him onto his back. When he tried to push her off, she used the Force to press him firmly into the mattress. He groaned at the added weight, eyes wide. "Oh, is this a contest?" she asked flippantly. Her superior attitude was somewhat ruined by the fact that she was still breathless. Mounting him, she began to set a torturously slow rhythm. "Because I know what makes you tick, General."

"Oh really?" he ground out.

Leaning forward, she drew one earlobe into her mouth, and bit it lightly. "I can make you come with one word," she promised.

Fighting against the added gravity, Hux managed to get his hands on her hips, forcing her to come down on him harder. "Say it then," he dared her. "And see what happens."

"Mmm, I don't know," she trailed a finger down his neck, and sat up once more. "I don't think I'm done with you just yet. It's not a race, you know. I could do this all night."

"Say it," he growled, pressing his thumbs into the sensitive flesh just inside her hip bones, hard enough to bruise.

"No," she gasped, digging her nails into his biceps.

Hissing, he closed his eyes and bit down on a moan. "Say it," he whispered, and it was almost, almost begging.

"Master!"

It was the tone of surprise that made his eyes fly open, as all the pressure on his body lifted and he realized that she was right. In the split second before his climax overtook him, he saw where she was looking: not down at him, but to a figure who stood disturbingly too close to the bed, as if he had appeared there.

Kylo.

It was too late, his body had already committed itself, and he cried out in shock as he came, spilling into her with more force than he thought possible, every muscle in his body clenching in one sympathetic spasm.

Above him, Rey rode it out, grinning sadistically up at the Dark Knight.

The moment he regained control of his body he scrambled away from her, but the bed was against a bulkhead and he had nowhere else to go. One hand clutched the covers against him, and the other dove beneath the pillow once more.

"Looking for this?" Rey asked, holding up a small tactical knife. "He keeps a whole armory in here, I swear."

Hux cussed fluidly. "What have you done with my guards?" He demanded.

Kylo shrugged. "Nothing. They didn't see anything, so I didn't see any reason to harm them."

Rey looked at him more carefully. Kylo still wore his loose sleeping clothes, and no mask, so he must have concealed himself the entire way there. No wonder it took so long.  

Hux muttered something dark about why he even bothered.

"I wondered that myself," Kylo agreed, and turned to Rey. "Having fun, pet?" He touched her cheek, and she leaned into it exactly like a cat.

"Oh, yes," she agreed, her eyes dancing with amusement.

"And what about you, General?" Kylo turned back to Hux, a proprietary hand on the back of his apprentice's neck. "Are you enjoying her?"

Hux scowled at the surreal scene before him. "She talks too much," he said at last. "You ought to put a gag on that smart mouth of hers."

"Oh, but she makes such lovely noises," Kylo argued, tilting her chin up and running a thumb over her lips. Rey's eyes slid shut and she eagerly took the digit into her mouth, sucking and making little humming sounds.

Hux swallowed with some difficulty, watching the two of them. A flush had begun to spread up his neck, obvious even in the darkness.

Smiling, Kylo looked from Rey to Hux. "Would you like me to show you?"

He hesitated for a moment, and then nodded sharply.

"Good," Kylo pulled his hand away from her, she let it go with an obscene popping sound. "Hold her arms."

"Wha--" before Rey could even finish the thought, Hux had grabbed her hands and pulled them up high behind her back. Reaching down, Kylo began working the buckles of her shoes.

"You wouldn't dare!" she shrieked, outraged, and struggled, kicking free.

"Now, now," Hux pulled her back against his chest hard, and pressed his nose against her hair. "Is that any way to talk to your Master?" he teased.

"You bastard," Rey hissed as Kylo successfully freed one foot from her boots, and then went for the other. Even she didn't know which one she was addressing.

"You've already discovered her delightful reaction to pain," Kylo said, flicking the last of the buckles open. "But there's something she hates even worse."

"Master, please," Rey gasped. <Don't do this, Kylo. It's too much, too personal.>

He cut her a look. <Oh, I think we've already crossed that line tonight.> Slowly, carefully, he drew one fingernail up the sole of her foot.

She gasped and convulsed, throwing her head back against Hux's shoulder.

"You're joking," Hux laughed. She could feel the sound rumble in his chest.

"Have you ever known me to joke?" Kylo drawled darkly.

Moving her wrists to one hand, Hux slid his hand over the swell of one breast and under her arm. She tried to squirm away, and a high keening sound escaped her throat.

"Oh, that is just too much," Hux murmured against her neck.

"It gets better." Taking an iron grip on her ankle, Kylo flicked his tongue against her smallest toe, and she whimpered helplessly.

"Ah, I remember now..." Using his free hand to force her jaw toward him, he drew his tongue along the spiraling shell of her ear, and then delved within.

Rey shuddered, and let out a soft sob. <How could you?> she demanded.

He chuckled, and their bond was colored with his lust and a sense of satisfied revenge. This was her punishment for falling for Hux: he would know all her weaknesses too.

The two of them set to devouring her from either end. Hux settled against the bulkhead, her arms pinned between her back and his chest. Both hands free, he tugged her bindings down beneath the gauze to expose her breasts, and ghosted his fingers over the sensitive skin there. All the while he licked and nibbled at her neck and ear. Kylo, for his part, was slowly working his way up her legs, his tongue darting into the crook of her knee, as his fingers trailed lightly over her inner thighs.

And through it all, Rey let out an involuntary chorus of moans and whimpers, mewling and keening exactly as Kylo had promised. Hux murmured obscene encouragments to her, and she sobbed to obey.

When Kylo's tongue first touched her clit, she screamed. "Oh, I can't," she shook her head. "Kylo, I'm going to...ngh..."

"Wait," Hux ordered.

<Fuck that,> Rey scowled.

<Do as he says,> Kylo commanded ruthlessly. <Not until he says so.>

She whined, but did as she was told, biting her lip until it nearly bled with the effort. Her whole body shook. "Master, please," she gasped, no longer sure which one she was talking to. "Please, please, Master, please let me come."

"Not yet, girl, just a few more moments," Hux murmured against her skin, trailing his fingers up to grip her neck, cutting off her air supply.

Kylo glanced up from her thatch of curls, scowling darkly.

"Now," Hux purred.

Rey had never felt anything like it. She felt like a star gone nova, the edges of her body blurring out into the universe. Her eyes screwed shut, head pressed hard against Hux's shoulder, heels digging into Kylo's back. Tears streamed down her face, and she sobbed uncontrollably. Hux held her, trapped her within the cage of his arms, and Kylo watched, his eyes boring into hers, a shudder passing through his body as he felt the echoes through their bond.

When it was over, she lay, panting and completely exhausted. Her hands were no longer behind her back, she noticed, and while she felt vaguely like scratching someone's eyes out, she absolutely lacked the energy to do so.

"She is a treasure," Hux murmured, trailing a thumbnail along the curve of her shoulder. The mocking tone had almost completely left his voice. "But tell me, does she give as good as she gets?"

Kylo was sitting on his heels, wiping her juices from his chin. "Of course," he grinned. Rising up to his knees, he made a beckoning gesture to Rey.

She groaned, and fresh tears slid down her cheeks. A rush of fresh energy flowed into her through their bond, and so, shaking, she pushed herself up from Hux's embrace.

"There's a good girl," Hux chuckled and gave her ass a half-hearted smack.

Ignoring him, Rey, fumbled with the ties of Kylo's pants. When his erection sprang free, she heard the slightest indraw of breath behind her, and glanced up to witness Kylo's smug grin.

"Always knew you had more balls than brains, Ren," Hux said, and he sounded genuinely impressed.

Rey hid a smile at the flush of embarrasment that passed along their bond. Before he could reply, she wrapped her lips around his cock and took as much of it as she could. He cussed above her and gripped her the back of her head tightly. The angle was good, and she began to bob her head, taking just a little bit more of him every time.

"Very nice," Hux admitted, and Rey felt her cheeks flush at the praise. He leaned over her, whispering in her ear once more. "That's a lot to take, isn't it, girl? But you can do better than that."

Kylo moaned, a sound that seemed to surprise even him.

<And he accuses me of talking too much,> Rey tried to joke.

<Do what he says,> he growled in her mind.

Rey sensed that there was some unspoken exchange going on between the two men, and cursed that she couldn't see it. So she pushed herself harder, relaxing her throat and drawing him deeper than she ever had before.

Hux wrapped his hand around her throat, and for one moment she thought he would try to choke her again. She already couldn't breathe as it was! But instead he just rested his fingers there, and hummed appreciatively.

"That's it," he whispered, and she realized suddenly that Hux could feel Kylo's cock working in her throat. He drew away, trailing a hand down her back. Then he moved behind her, and pulled her hips up so she was kneeling, her hands clutching Kylo's hips for balance. Before she knew what was happening, he had entered her once more, and she was caught between the two of them.

It was overwhelming. When one entered her, the other would leave. Relief on one side would be met with renewed vigor on the other. Through the bond, she could feel the rush of Kylo's thoughts. This was some kind of contest between them, to see who could last longer.

Kylo didn't have a chance.

He had a head start, a notoriously short fuse, and Hux was on round two. Rey couldn't take much more of the abuse, and began bleeding off the sensation into their connection.

<Rey, please, just a little longer,> Kylo begged, his grip on her hair tightening.

<No,> she purred, and as she came she fed it right into their bond. Kylo shouted, and spilled his seed deep into her throat. She swallowed it greedily, and he cursed her affectionately.

After a moment, Kylo collapsed to the bed, and Rey and Hux followed like dominoes. Kylo pulled Rey into his arms, but Hux wasn't done yet. Propping himself above both of them, he continued to drive into Rey as she trembled in Kylo's embrace.

 _Everything you do to me, everything I feel, he feels._ Rey recalled her words to Hux, and realized that was precisely what Hux's aim was. With every driving thrust, it was Kylo he was fucking, and Rey was just a tool to accomplish that. Kylo fought to remain silent, but it wasn't long before his moans joined hers, and Rey could feel Hux's malicious grin.

It wasn't long before Hux came, too, with a shout that sounded almost like a battle cry. He didn't linger, but fell to the bed beside them, the three of them struggling to catch their breath.

"Well, that was very interesting," Hux said glibly, recovering first. "Thank you Ren, for demonstrating your apprentice's... usefulness."

Kylo's anger welled. Whatever contest they'd been having, Hux had clearly won by a parsec. Rey squeezed a hand on his bicep, and sent him an unspoken plea for silence.

"Now get out of my bed," Hux ordered firmly.

Kylo shot up from the bed, tied the waistband of his pants with alacrity, and scooped up Rey's boots. She stood and pulled her skirt down--where were her panties? Impossible to find in this darkness. She took a single step and her knees went out from under her.

Hux chuckled deeply as Kylo caught her. "A delicate little thing, isn't she. Take good care of her, Ren, I shouldn't like to see something happen to her."

Scowling at Hux, Kylo handed Rey her boots, and then swept her up in his arms. She felt the muffled closeness of the Force as Kylo drew in the effect that would let them go through the corridors unnoticed.

As he carried her the long way back to their quarters, a resolve hardened between them.

<We are never doing that again,> Kylo's mental voice was shaky.

<Agreed,> she replied immediately. And yet, something told her this wasn't the last encounter they'd have with General Armitage Hux.

* * *

* * *

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, if you've made it this far, I super appreciate it. The Last Jedi came out and kinda blew this whole thing up. As much fun as it was to write, the canon took things in such a different direction I kind of want to run with that. So I'm starting a new fic, "Fear is the Heart of Love," which is an alternate ending for TLJ (which means Episode IX can't ruin it). You can read it here:
> 
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/13608582/chapters/31242546
> 
> Let me know what you think!


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